Temecula Valley Hospital welcomes new chief operating officer

TEMECULA – Temecula Valley Hospital welcomes Dave Lawson as the new chief operating officer. Lawson will oversee laboratory, pharmacy, cardiac services, radiology and surgical services at Temecula Valley Hospital.

Most recently, Lawson served as associate administrator of Summerlin Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he helped plan and complete multiple capital projects including a 36-bed medical/surgical and oncology unit expansion, labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care unit, postpartum renovation and expansion and a 32-bed medical/surgical unit renovation. Additionally, he had administrative responsibility for plant operations, imaging, respiratory therapy, rehab services, laboratory, security, health care technology management, food and nutrition, outpatient pharmacy and staffing officer responsibilities.

Before Summerlin, Lawson spent four years with Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston, Texas, in various leadership roles, including performance excellence administrator, director of physician relations and medical affairs and administrative Fellow. Earlier in his career, he served as a project manager of operations and quality at HealthPartners in St. Paul, Minnesota; administrative resident of outpatient services and retail clinics at Salem Health in Salem, Oregon, and an administrative intern of operations at MultiCare Valley Hospital in Spokane Valley, Washington.

"We are very pleased to have Dave join our Temecula Valley Hospital leadership team," Darlene Wetton, CEO of Temecula Valley Hospital, said. "His extensive background and variety of experience within different hospital departments will be very valuable to support our staff."

Lawson received his master's degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a bachelor's degree in public administration from Brigham Young University Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho.

"I am so pleased to join Temecula Valley Hospital and look forward to being a part of this terrific community," Lawson said.

Temecula Valley Hospital, with a 5 Star Medicare Hospital Compare rating, brings advanced technology, innovative programs, patient-centered and family sensitive care to area residents featuring 140 private patient rooms. Temecula Valley Hospital is the first Universal Health Services Hospital Emergency Department in the country to achieve accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians as a geriatric emergency department. Temecula Valley Hospital specializes in advanced cardiac services, stroke care, general and surgical specialties, and orthopedics as a recent Blue Distinction Center Designation for quality in knee and hip replacement surgeries. Temecula Valley Hospital is nationally recognized for patient safety by the Leapfrog Group, with a 2017 Top Hospital Award and seven "A" grades for patient safety.  For more information, visit https://www.temeculavalleyhospital.com/about/news.

Submitted by Temecula Valley Hospital.