MemorialCare\u2019s Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s Hospital in Long Beach, which oversees care for nearly 13,000 youngsters in the region each year, has a new leader.<\/p>\n
Lara Khouri, who was previously president and chief operating officer of Children\u2019s Hospital Los Angeles, has stepped into the role as CEO for Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s Hospital \u2014 a first for the institution.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe previously had executives,\u201d MemorialCare\u2019s vice president of communications and public relations, Richele Steele, said in a Thursday, March 19, statement, \u201cbut she is the first CEO.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khouri began the job on Feb. 16, Steele said.<\/p>\n
During her more than decadelong tenure at the helm of Children\u2019s Hospital Los Angeles, Khouri led the development of dozens of pediatric programs to care for complex patients, helped the hospital advance research and patient care efforts by securing large grants, and contributed to CHLA\u2019s designation as a leading pediatrics facility in Los Angeles County, according to a 2023 CHLA news release<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before joining CHLA\u2019s executive leadership team in 2015, Khouri also held leadership roles at other large health institutions, including Boston Children\u2019s Hospital and the Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia, according to MemorialCare.<\/p>\n \u201cLara brings a rare combination of strategic discipline, clinical understanding and mission-driven leadership,\u201d MemorialCare president Dr. David Kim said in the announcement. \u201cHer ability to build nationally recognized programs while partnering with physicians and inspiring care teams positions Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s for its next phase of growth in both pediatric and women\u2019s health.\u201d<\/p>\n Khouri\u2019s focus as Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s top leader, the news release said, will include expanding the hospital\u2019s specialized services, enhancing regional access to the hospital and community collaboration.<\/p>\n She also intends to leverage technology, MemorialCare said, including artificial intelligence platforms.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a fast-moving arena and there are a number of technologies coming to the forefront in health care,\u201d Steele said. \u201cLara\u2019s vision is to work with clinical teams to find safe and effective tools that will allow our teams to focus on caring for patients \u2013 and reduce the burden of activities that take away from care.\u201d<\/p>\n Some examples of that, Steele said, include AI-powered scribing tools, which health care staff can use to help document patient care.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother example is emerging tools that support interpretation services, allowing us to bring excellence and compassion to a diverse pediatric and maternal population,\u201d Steele said. \u201cThere are also ways to leverage AI and machine learning to simplify business functions such as billing and improve access through on-line appointment scheduling. As we explore these innovations, we will assure that safety, quality, patient privacy and patient experience are front and center in all we do.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a turbulent couple of years for MemorialCare\u2019s two Long Beach hospitals.<\/p>\n MemorialCare, for example, laid off 72 workers<\/a> at both the Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children\u2019s & Women\u2019s Hospital in 2024, and another 175 employees at both facilities in 2025,<\/a> citing increases in operational costs, supply chain inflation and other financial issues that have been ongoing since the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n MemorialCare\u00a0reported a $239 million operating loss in the 2023 fiscal year<\/a>, a significant increase when compared to MemorialCare\u2019s reported $69 million operating loss the previous fiscal year, according to a report from Fitch Ratings, a firm that conducts global market research analysis.<\/p>\n Shortly after the wave of layoffs in 2025, members of the California Nurses Association employed at both the Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children\u2019s held a one-day strike during contract negotiations with MemorialCare \u2014 and later voted no confidence in hospital leadership<\/a>, with nurses citing ongoing concerns about understaffing at the facilities and increasing workplace violence against nurses.<\/p>\n