SALINAS — Salinas Valley Health President/CEO Pete Delgado has announced his resignation after 10 years at the helm of the local health organization.
“I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for the trust, support and collaboration I have experienced during my tenure as your president/CEO,” said Delgado in a staff memo Oct. 9. “Serving this organization has been a profound honor and privilege, and I am genuinely grateful for the incredible journey we have shared.”
Delgado will remain with Salinas Valley Health through June 30, 2024, to help with the transition to new leadership. As he steps down from his role, Delgado said he has “no doubt that the future holds even greater accomplishments and successes” for the organization.
“I am excited to witness the continued growth and success of Salinas Valley Health in the years to come,” he added. “I remain committed to contributing to the success of Salinas Valley Health during the transition period and beyond.”
Salinas Valley Health Board of Directors called a special meeting Oct. 12 to accept Delgado’s resignation and discuss the replacement process. According to Board President Victor Rey Jr., the search for a new president/CEO will begin immediately.
“Salinas Valley Health has greatly benefited from the 10 years of leadership and dedicated service Pete has provided the organization, our staff, patients and community,” Rey Jr. said. “When Pete arrived in 2013, he made it a priority to address underserved populations in Monterey County and expand access to quality primary and specialty care service for all individuals. He’s taken an innovative approach to a number of healthcare issues while elevating employee engagement and exceptional patient care. We owe Pete a debt of gratitude and his will be hard shoes to fill. The Board will work to determine the best process as we move forward in our search to find a replacement.”
The search undertaking will include forming a Search Committee consisting of representatives from the Board of Directors, hospital and medical staff, community and other stakeholders with relevant expertise who will oversee the entire recruitment and selection process.
In addition, the Board will hire an executive search firm to ensure a comprehensive and efficient search. The firm will assist in identifying and vetting qualified candidates.
“The Board will act diligently to ensure that the selection process proceeds as expeditiously as possible while maintaining the highest standards of due diligence,” said Rey Jr. in another staff memo Oct. 13. “We understand that change can bring about uncertainties, but we are committed to ensuring a seamless transition as we continue to deliver outstanding care at Salinas Valley Health.”
A decade of leadership
Since joining Salinas Valley Health in 2013, Delgado has celebrated many accomplishments during his decade of leadership.
Most notably in South Monterey County, he oversaw the 2015 opening of a rural health clinic in Gonzales supported in part by Taylor Farms, and then tripled the size of the operation to 31,000 square feet in 2020 — expanding health and wellness offerings to the community.
Delgado also launched a Mobile Clinic in January 2020 that has seen more than 13,000 patient visits — providing free care to underserved communities throughout Monterey County — and spearheaded Blue Zones Project Monterey County, a countywide initiative focused on prevention and other community health and wellness needs co-sponsored by Salinas Valley Health with Taylor Farms and Montage Health.
Other accomplishments include creating a payer-blind clinic network to provide access to care without regard to insurance coverage that has grown from 21,000 patient visits in 2014 to 530,000 today, and leading the organization through the process of achieving Magnet designation for nursing excellence, an achievement reached by only 10% of hospitals nationwide.
“Reflecting on our accomplishments to date fills me with immense pride,” Delgado said. “Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones that have significantly impacted the health and well-being of our community.”
While navigating the Covid-19 pandemic, Delgado created aggressive plans and operations that focused on staff and patient safety and collaborated with other health systems to educate and vaccinate the community.
He also established robust physician recruitment efforts to improve community access to care and developed health career pathway programs to train new generations of healthcare providers.
“For people who know Pete’s impact-driven leadership, the timing isn’t surprising,” said Karina Rusk, Salinas Valley Health spokesperson. “Pete has forgone numerous opportunities to help other health-related organizations navigate a challenging landscape and better serve the patient population. He has a long list of impressive accomplishments here and is leaving us in a good position. His announcement gives him a chance to consider some of those outside offers while allowing him to spend more time with his family and support Salinas Valley Health during a transition process.”
