A pediatric physician will take over as chief medical officer at the Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley, Riverside University Health System officials announced Thursday.
Dr. Alexandra Clark was appointed to the position by the Riverside County Executive Office. Her previous position at the 439-bed teaching hospital was RUHS’ associate chief medical officer.
Clark fills the position vacated this week by Dr. Arnold Tabuenca, who will remain at the medial center in an executive capacity. He served as chief medical officer for more than 15 years. There was no word on why he decided to make the change.
Tabuenca’s previous year’s salary was just under $400,000, according to publicpay.ca.gov. Officials did not immediately confirm the size of Clark’s annual salary in her new capacity.
“I am honored to represent RUHS as incoming chief medical officer,” she said. “RUHS consistently innovates and works hard to say `yes’ to our community’s needs. This is who we are as an organization.”
The Moreno Valley medical campus is the only public hospital in Riverside County.
“Clark is an exceptional leader, who has a heart for community’s most vulnerable populations,” RUHS CEO Jennifer Cruikshank said. “We are proud and honored that she has accepted the position of chief medical officer and look forward to her guidance and wisdom during these challenging times.”
Clark was hired by the county in 2010, serving as chair of the pediatric department. However, she was later hired to serve as division chief for Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, where Tabuenca also has privileges.
Clark returned to RUHS earlier this year to serve as associate chief, and in recent months, she supervised temporary expansion of the campus’ pediatric intensive care unit, as well as creation of an intermediate PICU to contend with escalating respiratory infections among minors, officials said.
She is a graduate of UC San Diego and Albany Medical College. She completed her pediatric residency at Loma Linda.