Dr. Sam Hessami, M.D. was recently selected to succeed Dr. Varadarajan Subbish as the chief medical officer at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, located in Colton, is the main campus of the San Bernadino County Hospital.
Hessami has solid credentials not only as an accomplished medical doctor but as a hospital administrator in a highly active and challenging environment.
He is a double board-certified physician with 27 years experience as a practicing physician and approaching two decades of clinical and leadership expertise in hospital department management and service line development. Included in his previous management responsibilities were ensuring clinical quality, safety, and device utilization improvement.
As a physician, he is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who specializes in urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery. He practiced at the Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey, at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey and Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, New Jersey. He also had a private practice in Wayne, New Jersey, and practiced in association with the Sovereign Health Medical Group in Fair Lawn, New Jersey and Jersey City, New Jersey.
Dr. Hessami was also an associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, where he was the chief of urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery. He was the director of the fellowship program in urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center.
Hessami’s most recent administrative assignment before coming to California was that of chief patient safety officer at St. Joseph’s Health System, a 651-bed academic medical center in New Jersey. He is credited with having developed and implemented a comprehensive system-wide educational plan to advance the concept of a “safe and just culture.” Additionally, he expanded the range of services while in a management role at the Hackensack Meridian Palisades Women’s Group, where he created and administrated a new hospital-sponsored faculty practice in obstetrics and gynecology.
He attended medical school at New York Medical College and graduated in 1993 and completed his residency at hospitals associated with West Virginia University. Hessami has a master of healthcare administration degree and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
According to a report to the county board of supervisors dated June 2, 2020 from William Gilbert, the director of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Hessami is to “provide services as chief medical officer for Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, for an estimated annual cost of $447,739, with a salary of $295,131 and benefits of $152,608, effective August 1, 2020, through July 28, 2023.” The board also authorized Gilbert or his successor to “execute amendments to extend the term of the contract for a maximum of three successive one-year periods on behalf of the county, subject to county counsel review.”
Hessami’s compensation is defrayed by California State Medi-Cal, federal Medicare, private insurances, and other departmental revenue.
Hessami joins Gilbert; Chief Operating Officer Andrew Goldfrach; Chief Financial Officer Arvind Oswal; Chief Nursing Officer Nanette Buenavidez; Staci McClane, the associate hospital administrator for ambulatory care services; Katrina Shelby, the associate hospital administrator for quality and accreditation; Ron Taber, the associate hospital administrator for ancillary & support services; and Wesley Toh, the associate hospital administrator for support services as a member of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s management and leadership team.
“Dr. Hessami’s distinguished career makes him an ideal candidate to lead Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s medical team and spearhead innovative initiatives for continued advancements at the medical center,” Gilbert said in a prepared statement. “His broad experience in hospital administration, combined with his significant assets pertinent to patient safety and quality of care, make him an excellent fit with our vision and culture for ensuring patient well-being, while overseeing enhancements to our service-lines and programs.”
-Mark Gutglueck