Meet the new COO of Sacramento’s Mercy General Hospital

WELCOME BACK. WELL, HE LEADS OPERATIONS AT MERCY GENERAL HOSPITAL IN SACRAMENTO. JOHN KENNEDY IS NOW IN THE ROLE OF CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. HE JOINS US THIS MORNING. GOOD MORNING. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. AND WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. OF COURSE. VERY EXCITED. EXPLAIN FOR PEOPLE YOUR ROLE AS COO. YEAH. WELL, I’M TEO KENNEDY, YOU KNOW, NATIVE SON OF HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI. SO REALLY PROUD TO BE HERE. HAPPY TO BE HERE. IT’S REALLY EXCITING. I AM THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT MERCY GENERAL HOSPITAL. OF COURSE, IT’S IN EAST SACRAMENTO. SO I’VE BEEN HERE OVER 100 YEARS. STARTED BY THE SISTERS OF MERCY. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BEING OVERALL DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. YOU KNOW, HELPING OUR CLINICIANS WITH OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, STRATEGIC PROJECTS AND THEN THROUGHPUT AT THE HOSPITAL. YOU I KNOW THAT YOU MOVED HERE FROM LOS ANGELES, THOUGH. SO YOU’VE BEEN IN CALIFORNIA FOR A LITTLE BIT. SO YOU’RE NOT COMPLETELY NEW TO THE WEST COAST. WHY WAS THIS AN IMPORTANT POSITION FOR YOU? I THINK FOR ME, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST MET, YOU KNOW, CEO STEPHEN FOSTER AND THEN MET, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY AND TOURED THE FACILITY, IT FELT LIKE HOME. YOU KNOW, I’M A SOUTHERNER, SO FAMILY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, RIGHT? I’M A NATIVE SON OF HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI, SO I ALWAYS LOVE TO SHOUT OUT MY HOMETOWN THERE AND MY PARENTS. SO I HAVE SOUTHERN FAMILY UPBRINGING AND ROOTS, AND IT’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT WHEN I WALKED INTO THE BUILDING OF MERCY GENERAL HOSPITAL, YOU KNOW, SAW THE ENGAGEMENT. YOU KNOW, WE REALLY TAKE HUMAN KINDNESS SERIOUSLY. AND I TELL YOU, I’VE BEEN IN ENOUGH HOSPITALS, ENOUGH LOCATIONS WHERE EVERYONE SAYS CULTURE IS IMPORTANT. BUT, I MEAN, IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT THAT IN THAT BUILDING, YOU CAN JUST FEEL THE SPIRIT THERE. SO FOR ME, IT WAS AN HONOR. I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT, AND I MADE THAT LEAP OF FAITH AND CAME NORTH. WELL, WELCOME ONCE AGAIN TO SACRAMENTO. SO I KNOW YOU PROBABLY DON’T AND CAN’T GIVE ME ANY BREAKING NEWS PER SE, BUT TELL US, IF YOU CAN, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PLANS OVER THE TIME THAT THAT YOU’LL BE HERE. I’D SAY FOR ME, YOU KNOW, I’VE BEEN IN THE ROLE FIVE MONTHS, GOING ON SIX MONTHS NOW. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT AS A CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER TO COME IN AND EVALUATE OPERATIONS. YOU KNOW, ALIGN WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANS AND THE GOALS THAT THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OR THE CHIEF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER HAVE, SUCH AS MY CURRENT BOSS, STEPHEN FOSTER, AND THEN UNDERSTAND THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION. SO FOR ME, IT’S ABOUT EVALUATING THROUGHPUT OPERATIONS, UNDERSTAND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE, UNDERSTAND OPPORTUNITIES BASED ON MAYBE THE MARKET AND BASED ON MAYBE THE PATIENT POPULATION. JUST IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP OUR CLINICIANS WITH THROUGHPUT, EFFICIENCY AND HIGH QUALITY CARE THAT WE TAKE. SO YOU SAY YOU’RE STILL IN THAT THAT POSITION RIGHT NOW OF TRYING TO EVALUATE. I’D SAY IT’S AN ONGOING THING. YOU KNOW, EVERY MONTH, EVERY YEAR ERGOSTEROL YOU’RE ALWAYS EVALUATING. BUT COMING IN, I THINK I’VE FINALLY GOTTEN OUT OF THAT PHASE TO WHERE I THINK WE GOT SOME PRETTY GOOD PLANS WITH OUR CLINICIANS AND OUR GREAT TEAM TO REALLY HELP IMPROVE PATIENT CARE. AND YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THOSE PLANS ARE? SURE. I THINK ONE OF THE MOST BASIC ONES, I THINK MOST OPERATORS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE DEALING WITH THIS IS JUST HOW DO WE IMPROVE AND ASSIST WITH THROUGHPUT IN OUR EMERGENCY ROOMS? HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY CARE AND CONTINUE TO HELP THROUGHPUT OF PATIENTS THAT ARE ON THE INPATIENT SIDE ALREADY ADMITTED SO THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH THAT PROPER LEVEL OF CARE, GO THROUGH THE RIGHT TREATMENT, AND THEN DISCHARGE TO THE APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS, HOME OR IN POST OP FACILITIES, AND THEN CONTINUE TO FLOW PATIENTS THROUGH THE E.R. SO THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE THE TIMELY CARE THAT THEY NEED. AND I THINK THAT’S AN ONGOING THING. AND I THINK IT’S SOMETHING THAT, BASED ON THE TEAMWORK AND THE CULTURE OF THE HOSPITAL, I THINK WE’VE GOT SOME PRETTY GOOD PLANS FOR GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. HOW CAN THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT YOU IN THIS ROLE? AND IF THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THINGS OR ISSUES THAT COME UP, HOW CAN THEY BEST COMMUNICATE THAT WITH THE HOSPITAL? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, BECAUSE USUALLY PEOPLE COME TO US FOR FOR PREVENTATIVE MEASURES AND FOR CARE. I’D SAY ADVOCACY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DIFFERENT EVENTS AT THE HOSPITAL. WE’VE GOT A GREAT FOUNDATION THAT SEEKS TO PARTNER WITH THE COMMUNITY TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND PROVIDE ADVOCACY IN THE COMMUNITY AND INSIGHT. RIGHT. BUT I THINK FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, IS, IS IF THE COMMUNITY IS VERY VOCAL AND HONEST AND COMMUNICATING TO THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ABOUT THE TRENDS AND NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING US WHEN WE’RE IN WORKING WITH US, COLLABORATING WHEN WE’RE TRYING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATION. I THINK THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH ONCE AGAIN FOR JOINING US. WELCOME TO SACRAMENT

East Sacramento’s Mercy General Hospital has a new chief operating officer. Tadren Kennedy, who began his role in September 2025, joins the hospital from a position as chief operating officer of Keck Medicine of USC – Verdugo Hills Hospital in Los Angeles. There he improved financial performance, expanded surgical and imaging services, and increased patient satisfaction.Kennedy has more than a decade of executive leadership experience in hospital and health-system operations. He now oversees daily hospital operations and works alongside clinical and administrative teams to support the delivery of care across the Sacramento region.Kennedy previously held leadership roles with Ochsner Health, HCA Healthcare and Forrest Health. A former NCAA Division I student-athlete and Academic All-American at the University of Southern Mississippi, Kennedy holds a Master of Business Administration from Belhaven University and a Master of Public Health in Health Administration and Policy from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is also a board-certified fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Kennedy joined KCRA 3 on Thursday to discuss his goals for the new role. Click the video above to watch the full interview. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

East Sacramento’s Mercy General Hospital has a new chief operating officer.

Tadren Kennedy, who began his role in September 2025, joins the hospital from a position as chief operating officer of Keck Medicine of USC – Verdugo Hills Hospital in Los Angeles.

There he improved financial performance, expanded surgical and imaging services, and increased patient satisfaction.

Kennedy has more than a decade of executive leadership experience in hospital and health-system operations.

He now oversees daily hospital operations and works alongside clinical and administrative teams to support the delivery of care across the Sacramento region.

Kennedy previously held leadership roles with Ochsner Health, HCA Healthcare and Forrest Health.

A former NCAA Division I student-athlete and Academic All-American at the University of Southern Mississippi, Kennedy holds a Master of Business Administration from Belhaven University and a Master of Public Health in Health Administration and Policy from the University of Southern Mississippi.

He is also a board-certified fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Kennedy joined KCRA 3 on Thursday to discuss his goals for the new role.

Click the video above to watch the full interview.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel