Tadren Kennedy, MPH, MBA, will assume the role of chief operating officer for USC Verdugo Hills Hospital on Aug. 14. His appointment was announced by Armand Dorian, MD, the hospital’s CEO, in an Aug. 7 memo.

Kennedy will report directly to Dorian, and he will lead efforts to improve professional and support services, including ancillary operations.

He will also partner with Theresa Murphy, RN, MS, CENP, chief nursing officer at USC-VHH, to strengthen and advance the hospital’s clinical service environment to ensure an exceptional level of care.

“As a seasoned health care executive with a diverse set of medical and academic experience, Kennedy has a long and demonstrated leadership background characterized by a commitment to safety, quality and continuous improvement,” Dorian said in a statement.

Kennedy joins USC-VHH from Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, where he served as vice president of operations and sat on multiple councils and committees that were instrumental in developing the medical center’s processes and capabilities. Numerous renovation, expansion and research initiatives were completed during his tenure there.

Kennedy also brings prior experience as an ethics and compliance officer for the Forrest Health System in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he implemented transformative policies, procedures, and strategies for Walthall General Hospital.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from Belhaven University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Southern Mississippi. He also holds a Health Executive Certification from Cornell University and is a board-certified fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives.

— Kate Faye