Effective today, Robert (Robbie) Shappley, JD, MBA (Healthcare), will serve as USC Arcadia Hospital’s (USC-AH) new chief operating officer. In a May 31 announcement to the USC-AH staff, President and CEO Ikenna Mmeje, MHSA, stated that Shappley is succeeding Steve Sisto, who held the position from 2012 until his recent retirement.

Shappley will report directly to Mmeje and will prioritize optimizing the financial viability, quality of service, efficiency and operational effectiveness of the hospital, which is part of Keck Medicine of USC. His  daily responsibilities will include the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of every aspect of operations.

Shappley will utilize the expertise gained from his 12 years’ of health care leadership to improve workflows, cost-per-unit of service, and productivity. He’ll also mentor and coach the hospital’s caregivers to promote effective communication and working relationships within its departments.

In addition, he will be responsible for monitoring employee, patient and physician satisfaction, as well as leading the implementation of creative programs that will support the organization’s overall strategic goals.

Prior to joining Keck Medicine, Shappley served as chief operating officer for Fountain Valley Regional Hospital, where he focused on medical staff alignment, stabilization of surgical services, post-COVID-19 recovery of emergency department volumes, plus employee engagement and retention. The seasoned healthcare administrator has served in additional hospital leadership roles in California, Arizona and Tennessee.

When he’s not working, Shappley enjoys spending time with his wife Kim and his two daughters, Alexis and Zoe. He tries to play tennis a couple times of week and enjoys anything to do with cars — especially local car shows or taking a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway.

— Matthew Vasiliauskas