Sonoma Valley Health Care District has chosen Kelly Mather, former CEO of Sutter Lakeside Hospital, as the president and CEO of Sonoma Valley Hospital.
Mather, an author of six books on health and wellness, and developer of a Healing Model for hospitals, will take over as CEO of Sonoma Valley Hospital on July 19.
“We believe Kelly will be a transformational presence and leader,” said SVHCD Board Chair Bill Boerum. “She was quickly perceived as a courageous and decisive executive. She embodies the mission of the district to maintain, improve, and restore the health of everyone in our community.”
Mather said, “I am a hospital CEO at heart. I enjoy mentoring people and working side by side with people who share my mission of improving care for patients.”
Her first position as CEO, in 1996, was at the San Leandro Hospital. She then spent eight years as CEO at Sutter Lakeside Hospital, in Lakeport.
In 2008, she left Sutter Lakeside and founded Harmony Healing House, an education and consultancy organization. In this capacity she has lectured, written on health and healing and worked to develop a “Healing Hospital model.”
Mather recently completed a successful 18-month pilot of the model at Mendocino District Hospital. That done, successfully – “It exceeded all our expectations” – she saw the time was right to return to her first love: leading hospitals and communities to the next level of excellence and health as its CEO.
“I see the opportunity to help people heal as a great honor and gift,” she said. “Caregivers and hospital staff members have always inspired me with their loving commitment and compassion.”
Mather graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration in 1989. In 1991, she was recruited as an Administrative Resident with Humana Hospitals, in Overland Park, Kansas. She received her Master’s in Health Administration from Medical College of Virginia in 1992. An avid writer, lover of nature and yoga practitioner, Mather is married and the mother of three children, ages 10, 12, and 15.
The family currently lives in Lake County and will transition to Sonoma when school issues are resolved. “The City of Sonoma seems to be a perfect community for our family,” she said.
