Skip to main content
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Digital Health
    • Transformation
    • ESG
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Opinion
    • Bold Moves
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Vital Signs Blog
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Video Series - The Check Up
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
  • Data Center
    • Data Center Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • Newsletters
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
  • All
  • <Prev
  • Next>

Gold Medal Award Winner

Richard Cordova

Former CEO

Steven Ross Johnson
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More

    Richard Cordova still expresses some surprise about the somewhat random series of events that led him to his long career in the healthcare industry, one that was highlighted by a nearly 10-year stint as CEO of Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

    It was just after completing his undergraduate studies at California State University in 1972 that Cordova participated in a management trainee program for Los Angeles County, where his first assignment just happened to be reviewing public hospital budgets.

    “As I toured the hospitals and became friends with many of the administrators, it just caught me—this is what I wanted to do,” Cordova said. 

    From there Cordova never looked back. He spent nearly 25 years in leadership roles at public hospitals in both Los Angeles and San Francisco counties before switching to the private health sector. In 1998, Cordova joined Kaiser Permanente as senior vice president of the system's Southern California Division, and was eventually named Kaiser's Southern California regional president in 2002.

    But Cordova said it was his time leading Children's Hospital from 2006 until his retirement in 2015 that left the most lasting impression on him. “There is nothing more invigorating and fulfilling than treating children,” he said.

    This year Cordova is the recipient of the Gold Medal Award by the American College of Healthcare Executives, the organization's highest honor to recognize individuals who exemplify leadership and make an impact on health beyond the confines of their own organization.

    Part of that impact has been seen in Cordova's effort throughout his career to promote greater diversity within healthcare's C-suite. He is a founding member and first chair of the National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives, and is a past chair of what is now called the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity, an American Hospital Association affiliate.

    Cordova felt such efforts were all a part of his leadership approach, which he said favored collaboration and promoted an organizational culture that promoted success even through adverse situations.

    Cordova's time as head of Children's Hospital L.A. was marked as a period of great expansion for the organization. He ran the effort for the hospital's first $1 billion fundraising campaign, which went toward building a 365-bed facility that opened in 2011.

    “If there was a pinnacle in my career, that was it,” Cordova said. He also oversaw creation of the hospital's Children's Vision Center in 2007 and in 2009 expanded the hospital's research arm to create its Center for Personalized Medicine to further research in fields such as genomics and molecular microbiology.

    Since his retirement, Cordova has continued working to develop the next generation of healthcare leaders. He is currently a senior partner with the consulting firm Strategy Advantage, where he works part time to mentor young talented individuals to become healthcare executives; he also sits on the board of several organizations.

    “I'm very much into developing people and letting them grow and take on challenges,” Cordova said. “I've always had the philosophy that if I surround myself with strong people then I'm going to be successful.”

     

    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Digital Health
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Opinion
      • Bold Moves
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • Vital Signs Blog
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Video Series - The Check Up
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Data Center
      • Data Center Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • Newsletters
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing