Robert Issai
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Issai has more than 30 years of management experience in major health care organizations. He has demonstrated strong leadership skills with an emphasis on operational improvement, financial operations, strategic planning, profitability improvement, quality enhancement and advocacy.
Mr. Issai was instrumental in guiding the passage of AB1383, the Medi-Cal Stabilization Act. This Act put in place a hospital provider fee used to draw down additional federal dollars for Medi-Cal reimbursement for California hospitals and help fund services for the children and those living in poverty. Daughters of Charity Health System (DCHS) was a sponsor of this bill. Mr. Issai also focused his leadership and advocacy efforts on the development of SB306, the bill that was enacted and provided seismic relief to California hospitals.
In May 2001, Mr. Issai worked closely with the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Province of the West to create DCHS, after which time he joined as its Executive Vice President and CFO. In July 2006, Mr. Issai was appointed as President and CEO of DCHS, a $1.2 billion health system with six hospitals and a Medical Foundation spanning the California coast. Mr. Issai’s past leadership experience includes serving as the Regional Vice President of Finance for Catholic Healthcare West (now Dignity Health) – Southern California Region; Senior Vice President and CFO of St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, CA; and Assistant Vice President of Finance with Harbor Health Systems, in Harbor City, CA.
Mr. Issai is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Trustees of Premier, Inc., the California Hospital Association, and the American Hospital Association Health Care Systems Governing Council. Mr. Issai received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration at Andrews University of Michigan and his M.B.A. in Finance with honors from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. He resides in Glendale, California. Mr. Issai is married to Alice, and they have two children, Vahe and Selene.
