Sonoma Valley Hospital names new Chief Medical Officer

Sonoma Valley Hospital has named Dr. Sujatha Sankaran as its new Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Sankaran is board certified in Internal Medicine with a focused practice in Hospital Medicine and has been at UCSF, SVH’s affiliated partner, since 2011. She replaces Sabrina Kidd, MD, who left earlier this year.

“In today’s increasingly complex world, the role of Chief Medical Officer needs to be filled by someone with a wide range of talents and experience. In Dr. Sankaran we have found that exceptional person,” said CEO John Hennelly.

“She has global experience as an innovator in her medical specialties as well as in her focus on hospital systems and training of teams. Now Sonoma Valley is the beneficiary,” Hennelly said. “Please join me in welcoming Dr. Sujatha Sankaran to our community and to the Hospital.”

Dr. Sankaran will work closely with the hospital’s medical directors and serve on the administration team in overseeing existing services and helping plan new services and programs. She also will continue to serve on the UCSF faculty working closely with the CMO of UCSF Health, especially in identifying areas of collaboration between the two hospitals.

Said Sankaran, “I am passionate about finding innovative ways to deal with the many challenges facing small community hospitals. I’m thrilled and honored to join the Sonoma Valley Hospital team.” 

Sankaran is also an Associate Professor of Medicine with the Division of Hospital Medicine at UCSF and serves as the medical director for inpatient substance use at UCSF Health. Since 2018, Dr Sankaran has been the director of the quality and safety program for the UCSF Department of Neurosurgery, leading efforts to improve quality of neurosurgical care. 

Sankaran is the recipient of numerous awards, grants, and fellowships including the Fulbright. She is extensively published and serves on multiple medical committees and task forces. A frequent lecturer, Sankaran also has deep teaching experience.

To read more about her background, visit  https://profiles.ucsf.edu/sujatha.sankaran.