Facing the challenge of recruiting a CMO for a standalone safety net hospital in a notoriously tough LA market, Jackson Physician Search leveraged deep local relationships and physician executive expertise to place a mission-aligned candidate in just 76 days.
From the outset, everything about the search for a CMO at Valley Presbyterian indicated it would be an uphill climb.
As a standalone safety net hospital in Greater Los Angeles, Valley Presbyterian required a service-minded physician executive dedicated to the community it served with experience navigating Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. That requirement wasn’t a box to check — it was foundational to the role.
With a significant share of the hospital’s patient population covered by Medi-Cal, the incoming executive needed to understand the financial realities of the program and be able to lead clinical and operational strategy within that margin pressure. They also needed fluency in the regulatory layers unique to Medi-Cal that add administrative complexity. Just as important, the right candidate needed to see Medi-Cal patients not as a constraint to manage but as the core of the hospital’s mission.
On top of that, they needed a strong operator with soft people skills who could manage and motivate a team of independent physicians and a tight-knit administrative staff. There was also the matter of the L.A. market in general, which was polarizing for candidates and challenging for recruiters to break into.
The Ascent Begins
Valley Presbyterian CEO Gustavo “Gus” Valdespino knew he had a tall order to fill and required a recruiter who understood the job and had a large local network of physician executives to fill it. It was the kind of assignment he thought could only be completed by a local boutique firm, but Vice President of HR John Peeples felt it would be worthwhile to consider leveraging the resources of a national firm.
“I was the new VP of HR, and this was my first executive search,” John explained. “I didn’t want to hire a generalist agency; I needed a firm that really understood the CMO role and the specific needs of a community hospital.”
He decided to fill out a form on the Jackson Physician Search website to learn more about our approach. Senior Director of Executive Business Development Andrew Walker quickly scheduled a conversation, where John was impressed by both the firm’s capabilities in sourcing physician executives and the market knowledge Andrew offered.
The call made him confident that Jackson Physician Search had the reach and resources of a national outfit but the personal touch and niche expertise of a boutique. After sharing the details with Gus, everyone was on board with the partnership.
“Gus is a very impressive person,” Andrew recalls of their first meeting. “He was very forthcoming and did a wonderful job of opening up his entire business and staff to us so we could completely understand the organization. This allows us to have the candid conversations with candidates that reveal who has the right skills and background to be successful.”
Charting the Terrain
Once the contract was complete, Director of Executive Search Mark Dotson went to work on two fronts at once. First, he reached out to Dr. Sherman, an LA-based physician executive in his network with whom he had built a close relationship. This was a critical advantage in a market that had historically been hard for outside recruiters to penetrate. When Mark asked if she knew anyone who might be interested in the role, he was pleasantly surprised when she said she was interested in the position herself!
Dr. Sherman was an accomplished physician executive with a Wharton MBA who had spent six years at a large healthcare network. While she wasn’t in an active job search, her passion for health equality was undeniable. Valley Presbyterian was close to home and offered the community-based care she loved, paired with the opportunity to advance professionally.
It was a promising start. Mark submitted her profile, and three days later, she met with Gus. They connected immediately. He knew she would be a tremendous asset to the team and the culture he was building.
A Summit in Sight
Meanwhile, Mark was also assembling a diverse slate of candidates. He submitted ten profiles. Some were from California, while others were CMOs at large hospital networks elsewhere and had advanced degrees from prestigious institutions like Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and Duke.
“We were impressed with the speed Mark and Andrew delivered candidates,” John beamed. “They set very high expectations during our first meeting, and the way the process unfolded authenticated every claim they made. In other words: everything they said would happen, did.”
Gus agreed. “While there was clearly a lot of knowledge to begin with, Mark and Andrew took the time to understand the environment and who we are. They were extremely responsive, no matter what time of day. It was almost as if they were part of the administrative team.”
After several rounds of onsite interviews, Dr. Sherman came out on top. Her skills and accolades were exceptional, but it was her long-term, strategic approach and belief in Valley Presbyterian Hospital’s mission that won Gus and the team over. She was thrilled: if she had written her ideal job description, the role at Valley Presbyterian was it. She loved the community and the culture at the hospital. Most importantly, she had confidence in the leadership team’s ability to deliver on its mission.
Bridging the Gap
“Mark was able to help facilitate the communication between Dr. Sherman and our team in a way that allowed each side to see the merits of the other,” Gus explained. “He wasn’t just doing a search — he was providing advice, consulting, and help navigating the negotiations to a successful conclusion.”
Every physician executive search has its peaks and valleys. Yet Valley Presbyterian Hospital never lost momentum thanks to an engaged recruitment consultant and a CEO who trusted his recommendations, allowing them to move quickly.
Gus and John thought they would need a boutique firm with a specialized network to deliver top candidates for a challenging role to fill. However, Jackson Physician Search’s unmatched expertise in placing physician executives, paired with its formidable network and reputation, brought an elite roster of top executives to the table and led to the hiring of a CMO in only 76 days.
“This was not a run-of-the-mill process. It was very active, very engaged, very communicative, and extremely helpful and guided,” Gus summarized. “I would recommend Jackson Physician Search to any colleague doing a CMO search.”
Jackson Physician Search combines the personalized service, specialized expertise, and deep regional networks of a boutique firm with the national reach, reputation, and resources only a large firm can offer. The result: faster placements, stronger candidates, and a search experience built around your organization’s unique needs. Reach out today to learn more.
