Pete Delgado, president and CEO of Salinas (Calif.) Valley Health, announced his resignation to staff Oct. 9.
Mr. Delgado led the organization, formerly known as Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, since 2013. His resignation is "effective at a date to be determined," he wrote in his email to colleagues, which is made available by Monterey County Weekly.
"The realization that there is never a 'perfect' time to step away from a role I love has weighed heavily on my decision," Mr. Delgado wrote. "Yet, I am confident that change, while challenging, is an opportunity for growth and renewal for both the organization and myself."
Salinas Valley Health includes a 263-bed acute care hospital, more than 2,000 employees, a medical staff of more than 300 physicians, a network of urgent care clinics, a rural health clinic, and a mobile clinic. The hospital dates back to 1953.
Most recently, Salinas Valley Health was in the news for its contract impasse with Anthem Blue Cross after five months’ of negotiations failed to reach agreement, resulting in SVH patients going out of network with Anthem effective Aug. 1.
Mr. Delgado previously served as CEO of Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center from 2003 to 2012. He has held leadership roles with Christus Santa Rosa in San Antonio; Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, Texas; and Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif.