On July 28, Rod Hanners, interim CEO of Keck Medicine of USC, announced that William Martin “Marty” Sargeant is stepping into the role of interim CEO of Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, effective immediately. The position has been added to his existing duties as chief operating officer of the two hospitals.

As interim CEO, Sargeant will provide executive leadership for both hospitals while maintaining strong relationships with department chairs, faculty, staff and leadership.

“With more than 20 years of health care leadership experience, Marty brings tremendous knowledge and talent to his new duties within the health system,” Hanners said in the memo.

Before joining Keck Medicine, Sargeant served as the COO for City of Hope, where he led operations in the medical center and 22 community practice sites. He also developed strategies that successfully enhanced infrastructure capacity, service and operational performance. Other highlights from his career include work with Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and Florida. As COO at the latter location, he developed effective outreach strategies to expand patient access to care.

“Throughout this turbulent time, Marty’s dedication to our patients, staff, and enterprise has never wavered,” Hanners stated. “I have no doubt that his commitment to exceptional care and sense of innovation, along with his leadership acumen, high character and values will enable our organization to continue to thrive in the months ahead.”

— Kate Faye