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Board Representation

Notice of Regular Meeting CenCal Health Board of Directors

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Meet our Board of Directors

Sue Andersen, President & CEO of Dignity Health on the Central Coast, Board Chair (Hospital Representative)

In July 2018, Sue Andersen became the President and CEO of Marian Regional Medical Center, including Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and more recently, French Hospital Medical Center. She oversees an entity with over $1 Billion in annual revenues, three hospital locations, residency programs, a skilled nursing facility, cancer centers, surgery centers, an acute rehab facility, a homecare entity and outpatient labs, imaging and infusion centers. She has been at Marian and Dignity Health for the last 24 years.

Prior to the Presidency, Ms. Andersen was Vice President of Finance and the Chief Financial Officer for Dignity Health Central Coast. Ms. Andersen oversaw all financial operations for five hospitals and many outpatient facilities.

She has been an accounting instructor at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in business administration from California State Polytechnic University.

She currently serves as the past board chair of REACH, a regional economic growth entity; Chair of CenCal Health Board; and on the Board of the Santa Maria Chamber; ATSU Deans Council; the Athletic Advisory Board Cal Poly; the Santa Maria Police Advisory Board and several Dignity Hospital Boards.

Edward S. Bentley, MD, Board Vice Chair 
(Provider Representative)

Dr. Edward Bentley, who has been an active member of the Santa Barbara medical community and a CenCal provider since 1986, received his bachelor’s degree from USC, his medical degree from Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center and post doctorate training at LAC-USC Medical Center, and is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He continues to be involved in education through his clinical associate professorship of medicine at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.

Dr. Bentley is past president of the Santa Barbara County Medical Society, former trustee of the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara and current trustee of Santa Barbara Cottage Health. He has expertise in Medicare payment through his work with the California Medical Association and the American Medical Association Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) and accreditation as a former trustee and surveyor for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).

He is senior partner of Santa Barbara Gastroenterology Consultants Medical Group, a division of InSite Digestive Health Care.

Antonette “Toni” Navarro, LMFT, Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness Director
(County Representative)

Antonette “Toni” Navarro, LMFT has managed mental health programs since 2003, most recently at Tri-City Mental Health in Los Angeles County since 2008. For the past seven years she has served as Tri-City Mental Health Authority’s Executive Director for six years as its Chief Clinical Officer. As Executive Director, she has been responsible for the planning, organizing, and directing of operations of the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to provide outpatient specialty mental health services to the cities of Claremont, La Verne and Pomona, Calif. Her prior experience also includes a focus on youth and family mental health, and substance use disorder programming with Hathaway-Sycamores Children and Family Services in Pacoima.

Ms. Navarro is deeply committed to behavioral health, public service, and collaboration. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 30 years of clinical outpatient services. She also has extensive experience working at the state level as a Governing Board Member of the California Behavioral Health Directors’ Association.

For the past eight years, Ms. Navarro has been an Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of La Verne. She currently serves as President of the California Social Work Education Center’s Advisory Board (CalSWEC) hosted by the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare. CalSWEC is dedicated to developing a professional social service workforce to effectively serve California’s diverse population with a focus on public child welfare, integrated behavioral health, and aging.

Ms. Navarro received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of California, Los Angeles; and a master’s degree in education with an emphasis on marriage and family counseling from University of California, Santa Barbara. Ms. Navarro grew up in Santa Barbara and attended Santa Barbara High School.”

Daniel Herlinger
(Community Business Representative)

Daniel Herlinger has recently been senior consultant for Arthur S. Shorr & Associates, Inc., a management firm providing business and strategic planning services to hospitals and physicians. He served as President and CEO of CHW Central Coast, overseeing the operations of four hospitals including St. Francis Medical Center and Marian Medical Center. Before this time, he was President and CEO of St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo and Vice President of Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago.

Mr. Herlinger has been honored with the Regent’s Award from the American College of Health Care Executives and has served as the California delegate to the American Hospital Association. He has also been chairman of the board of the Health Care Association of Southern California and on the board of the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, the California Council for Quality and Service, and the California Association of Catholic Hospitals. He served for three years as an examiner for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award Program.

Mr. Herlinger is active in several community organizations including Rotary International, and served on the boards of Ascend Clinical Laboratories, Satellite Healthcare Inc., Cognitive Fitness and Innovative Therapies and Surgical Eye Expeditions, Inc. He is a certified mediator, a health policy advisor to AARP and a Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has also served on the Santa Barbara Civil Grand Jury. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago, and his MBA in healthcare administration from The George Washington University.

Dawn Ortiz-Legg, County of San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors District 3
(County Supervisor)

Supervisor Ortiz-Legg was born and raised in rural Illinois and has lived in San Luis Obispo since 1992, contributing to her community while working in energy, infrastructure, and economic development. She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree of international public policy from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Supervisor Ortiz-Legg is best known in her community for implementing California’s renewable energy policy to positively impact and improve people’s lives. The development and construction of multiple utility-scale solar projects created hundreds of jobs and long-term opportunities for central coast residents and businesses. Simply put Supervisor Ortiz-Legg has installed more clean energy than any other public official in San Luis Obispo County.

Years of project development is why in 2018, Supervisor Adam Hill appointed Supervisor Supervisor Ortiz-Legg as the 3rd District Planning Commissioner and then in 2020, after the tragic death of Adam Hill, Supervisor Ortiz-Legg was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the District 3 Supervisorial Seat. In 2022, Supervisor Ortiz-Legg was elected by District 3 voters to finish out the term. Supervisor Ortiz-Legg has led county policies, including the Offshore Wind Task Force, Homeless Oversight, Behavioral Health, and Co-chair of the economic committee to ensure funds are dedicated to childcare, housing, unhoused, health, and water security. She puts special effort toward mental health issues and wellness concerns for children, families, and neighborhood safety.

Supervisor Ortiz-Legg sits on Parks California, a statewide nonprofit ensuring the resiliency and accessibility of California’s beautiful State Parks and is Vice President of the California Caucus of Latino Supervisors.

She resides in San Luis Obispo, and is a mother to one grown daughter, Georgia Legg.

Joan Hartmann, County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors District 3
(County Representative)

Supervisor Hartmann has lived in Santa Barbara County part-time since 1999 and full-time since 2004. She served for six years as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the foster care network. She also served on the Wildling Museum’s Board of Directors, the Fund for Santa Barbara’s Grant Making Committee, and the Santa Barbara Foundation’s LEAF Advisory Committee.

Supervisor Hartmann began her career in the academic world, serving as Director of the Public Policy Program at the Claremont Graduate School; Assistant Professor of environmental studies and government at Oberlin College; and later as adjunct professor of Environmental Studies at USC. She has also worked in the policy and budget offices and as legal counsel for several federal government agencies.

She has also served in government—with the Congressional Research Service, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. EPA, Region 3 and helped found the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, a novel public private partnership to restore coastal Southern California rivers and wetlands.

Supervisor Hartmann spearheaded the Buellton Urban Growth Boundary initiative which requires a vote of the people before the city can expand its boundaries, the first such initiative in Santa Barbara County. She also advised the Goodland Coalition, which successfully campaigned for a similar initiative in Goleta.

Joel Diringer, San Luis Obispo County (Medicare Representative)

Joel Diringer is a health policy expert with more than forty years of experience addressing health access issues affecting children, low-income communities, immigrants, and farmworker populations.

He is the founder and principal consultant of Diringer and Associates, a San Luis Obispo-based health policy consulting firm specializing in research, program development, and evaluation, with a focus on vulnerable populations. He has worked with numerous local healthcare organizations, including County Public Health, County Behavioral Health, Dignity Health, CenCal Health, and the Promotores Collaborative. He is also a member of the SLO Health Counts Steering Committee. Earlier in his career, he served as an attorney at California Rural Legal Assistance from 1983 to 1996.

Mr. Diringer has authored numerous reports on farmworker, immigrant, children’s, and oral health issues and is a frequent speaker on these topics. He co-founded SLO County UndocuSupport, now the One Community Fund, and the Children’s Health Initiative of San Luis Obispo County. He has also facilitated numerous health coalitions in San Luis Obispo County, including the Future Vision coalition on the future of the county safety net, the Oral Health Coalition, the Obesity Prevention Coalition, and the SLO County Behavioral Health Integration Project.

Mr. Diringer received a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1991 and a law degree from the University of California, Davis, in 1980. He previously served as a Senior Program Officer and Health Policy Advisor for The California Endowment.

Kieran Shah, President and CEO of VNA Health (Provider Representative)  

Kieran Shah is a nationally recognized leader in advanced illness care operations and patient access. He creates strong teams based on trust, accountability, and commitment to the organization’s mission and values. Through innovative approaches to serious illness care, his organizations continue to have a deeper impact on patients and families, within healthcare systems, and with providers.

Prior to VNA Health, Mr. Shah served as the Chief Growth Officer with Capital Caring Health, one of the nation’s largest providers of Advanced Illness Care; and he served as the Chief Strategy Officer with the California Hospice Network, and with Hospice of Santa Cruz County.

Mr. Shah brings 20+ years of strategic leadership, business development, operational planning, innovative contracting, and process improvement. He served as a Steering Committee member for the National Partnership for Hospice Innovation’s (NPHI) Innovation Lab.

Recently, Mr. Shah sat on the Board of the Central California Alliance for Health’s Continuous Quality Improvement Committee and served as the End-of-Life Care Thought Leader for the Santa Clara County LTSS Integration Subcommittee, an advisory group to the County Board of Supervisors to improve transitional and facility-based care for seniors across the region. Mr. Shah was a previous board member with the California Association of Healthcare Leaders (CAHL / ACHE), and the recipient of the 2016 ACHE Healthcare Executive Regent’s Award.

On top of his passion for advanced illness and end of life care, he is an avid sports enthusiast, including supporting his childhood team, Liverpool FC. He is especially fond of Liverpool’s motto, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

Kristin Ventresca, San Luis Obispo County Interim Health Agency Director (County Representative)

Kristin Ventresca is an accomplished public sector executive with extensive leadership experience in health, behavioral health, housing, and human services administration. She currently serves as Interim Health Agency Director for the County of San Luis Obispo Health, where she oversees multi-division operations, fiscal strategy, regulatory compliance, and organizational performance for public health, behavioral health, and related community services programs. Throughout her career, Kristin has successfully managed multi-million-dollar budgets and contracts, and led complex system modernization and policy initiatives, including Medi-Cal transformation and homelessness response programs. She is recognized for her strategic leadership, fiscal stewardship, collaborative approach, and commitment to improving community health and housing outcomes through data-driven and cross-sector solutions. Kristin holds a Master of Public Policy from California Polytechnic State University and a Master of Science in Higher Education from Kaplan University.

Lisa Moore, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Cottage Health
(Provider Representative)

Lisa Moore is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Cottage Health, a not-for-profit multi-hospital system serving patients on California’s Central Coast. With hospitals in Santa Barbara, Goleta and a critical access hospital in the Santa Ynez Valley, Cottage Health offers a broad scope of clinical services including those of the Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital and Cottage Children’s Medical Center.

Ms. Moore joined Cottage Health as an Administrative Fellow. She has served in several positions prior to her current role including Vice President, Clinical Services & Government Relations, Vice President of Operations, Assistant Vice President and Assistant Administrator during her tenure.

Her prior career experience includes service in the hospital services division for the American Red Cross and international assignments in the biotechnology field. Ms. Moore previously served on the advisory board for California Hospital Association (CHA) Center for Behavioral Health, was a Fellow in the American Hospital Association Next Generation Leaders Innovation Program and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Ms. Moore holds a bachelor of arts degree, having majored in mathematics and chemistry, from Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and a master’s degree in hospital and health care administration with a concentration in strategic planning and policy from University of Minnesota, School of Public Health.

Mouhanad Hammami, MD, Santa Barbara County Public Health Director
(County Representative)

Mouhanad Hammami is the Director of Public Health for Santa Barbara County.

Prior to his current position, he served as the Senior Vice President for Safety Net Transformation, Community Benefits, Health and Well-Being at Trinity Health. In this role, he led the strategy to improve health for individuals and improve the underlying social determinants of health in communities served. He also led work for Trinity Health’s community-based delivery models and public health initiatives and partnered closely with state and national experts to integrate health care delivery with public health activities.

Before that Mr. Hammami served as Director and Chief Health Officer of the Wayne County (Michigan) Department of Health, Veterans and Community Wellness. There he oversaw all health, wellness and human services for the 13th largest county in the nation. Before that, Mr. Hammami was chief of Health Operations and county health officer for the Wayne County Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Hammami also served as the executive director of the National Arab American Medical Association (NAAMA) from 2006 to 2009 and then elected as its national president in 2011.

A graduate of Aleppo University School of Medicine, Syria, Mr. Hammami completed his postdoctoral research in pediatrics at the Newborn Center of the University of Tennessee in Memphis, and then accepted a faculty appointment at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan, and a research position at the Detroit Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics. He then received his master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Michigan. Mr. Hammami has been the recipient of several recognitions including the American Medical Association Foundation Excellence in Medicine and Leadership Award for his public health advocacy and community work.

René Bravo, MD, Bravo Pediatrics
(Provider Representative)

Dr. René Bravo is a pediatrician, having lived and practiced pediatrics here on the Central Coast since 1986. A graduate of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, Dr. Bravo did his internship and residency at Stanford University Medical Center.

A longtime advocate for children and families, Dr. Bravo is currently in private practice in San Luis Obispo. Active in many community endeavors, he has served as the Chief of Pediatrics at Sierra Vista and French Hospitals. He was the past Chief of Staff at SLO General Hospital.

Locally, Dr. Bravo has served on many community boards including leadership positions in the American Cancer Society, the Partnership for the Children of San Luis Obispo County and the San Luis Obispo County Foundation for Public Libraries (past-President). He is past Chairman of the State of California’s Medical Drug Use Review (DUR) Board in Sacramento appointed by Gov. Wilson to help design, develop and implement the nation’s largest DUR program for the State’s MediCal recipients.

Dr. Bravo is especially passionate about children’s health issues and has served as President of the Partnership for the Children of San Luis Obispo County and assisted in the initial vision and development of the Clinic de Tolosa Dental Clinic in Paso Robles serving low-income families. He currently serves on the San Luis Obispo County Children and Families Commission (First Five Commission). First Five has been a powerful vehicle to affect children’s health and welfare as they work with various entities in the community. He was the founding President of the Children’s Health Initiative of San Luis Obispo County, bringing together a widespread coalition of private, public and government organizations to found and support a universal health care network for all children in San Luis Obispo County.

Dr. Bravo is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Sara Macdonald, Santa Barbara County
(Consumer Representative)

Sara Macdonald was born and raised in Santa Maria. She attended Santa Maria High School and Cal Poly SLO and has a deep understanding of the history of our region. Ms. Macdonald joins our board as a Santa Barbara County Medi-Cal Recipient.

She is the current President of the Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley and current Central Coast Regional Representative to the California State Coordinating Committee of California Poor People’s Campaign. Ms. Macdonald’s deep faith guides her in all she does, offering compassion and inclusiveness to those she interacts with. She is a prolific information sharer, offering the latest on governmental and nonprofit meetings and more, ensuring the community is well informed.

Ms. Macdonald’s work for progressive change is deep and wide. She is always there to do the work on the ground and to encourage others to join her. Ms. Macdonald was the 2019 recipient of Volunteer of the Year from the Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley and the 2022 recipient of the Giving Back award from the Santa Barbara County Action Network.

 

 

Board Meeting Schedule

Notice of Regular Meeting CenCal Health Board of Directors
April 15, 2026
6:00 pm

The Historic Santa Maria Inn
801 South Broadway
Santa Maria, CA
Santa Maria Room

Members of the public wishing to provide public comment on items within the jurisdiction of the Board of Directors may do so during the public comment period or by emailing comments before 10:00 am, April 15, 2026 to the Clerk of the Board at pbottiani@cencalhealth.org with “Public Comment” in the subject line. Comments received will be read during the meeting.

If you require any special disability-related accommodations, please contact the CenCal Health Board Clerk’s Office at (805) 562-1020 or via email at pbottiani@cencalhealth.org at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the scheduled board meeting to request disability related accommodations.

Agenda

Action/Information

1. Public Comment (Ms. Andersen)

2.Consent Agenda (Action to accept reports) ( Andersen)  Action
2.1 Approve Minutes of March 18, 2026, Board of Directors Meeting
2.2 Approve Minutes of March 5, 2026 Board Nominating Committee Meeting
2.3 Approve Minutes of March 11, 2026 Board Medi-Cal Access, Capacity & Workforce Development Subcommittee Meeting
2.4 Approve Minutes of March 31, 2026 Board Compliance & Oversight Committee Meeting

2.5 Accept Administrative Reports
2.5.1 CEO Executive Summary
2.5.2 Chief Medical Officer and Health Services Report
2.5.3 Population Health Report
2.5.4 Performance Report
2.5.5 Strategic Engagement Report
2.5.6 Customer Experience Report
2.5.7 Operations and D-SNP Report

2.6 Accept Committee Reports
2.6.1 Pediatric Clinical Advisory Committee (PCAC) Report and Minutes of 12/03/2025
2.6.2 Family Advisory Committee (FAC) Report and Minutes of 11/20/2025         

3. Regular Agenda

3.1 Report from the Chief Executive Officer (Ms. Owen)                                              Information   
3.2 Accept Finance Report from CFO/Treasurer, Independent Financial.               Action 
       Audit from Auditors, and December 2025 Audited Financial
       Statements  (Ms. Bishop, Mr. Britton and Ms. Schmoller)                    
3.3 Adopt 2026 Community Investment Priorities.                                                        Action 
       (Ms. Owen, Ms. Turestsky, and Ms. Jacobson)             
3.4 Report on HR-1 Implementation Program and Executive Medi-Cal Policy        Information
      Committee (Ms. Owen, Ms. Turetsky, and Mr. Roberts)                         
3.5 Accept Report from Chief Compliance and Fraud Prevention Officer.                Action 
      and Approve Compliance Plan and Code of Conduct (Ms. Kim)                                       
3.6 Items for Immediate Action                                                                                  Action

Items for which the need to take immediate action arose subsequent to the posting of the agenda (requires determination of this fact by vote of two-thirds of the Directors present or, if fewer than nine Directors are present, unanimous vote)

Note: The meeting room is accessible to the disabled. Additional information can be found at the CenCal Health website: www.cencalhealth.org

Meeting schedule

The following represents the CenCal Health Board of Director’s meeting schedule from January 2026 through January 2027

CenCal Health will plan to hold six (6) regular meetings of the Board of Directors and one (1) special meeting, which is the annual strategic retreat on Friday, July 31, 2026.

For your convenience, the first meeting of the next calendar year is also included and
will take place on January 20th, 2027, in Santa Maria.

2026 Board of Directors Meeting Schedule

Date Location
January 21st, 2026 Santa Maria
March 18th, 2026 San Luis Obispo
April 15th, 2026 Santa Maria
June 17th, 2026 Santa Maria
July 31st, 2026 [Special Meeting] Retreat, Santa Ynez
September 16th, 2026 Santa Maria
October 21st, 2026 Santa Barbara
January 20th, 2027 Santa Maria

All Regular Board Meetings will begin at 6:00pm

Board Committee Meetings Schedule

For your convenience and planning purposes, following is 2025 standing and ad hoc subcommittee schedule for the Board of Directors. Compliance, Advisory and Steering committees, including those with Board Liaisons, will be provided separate meeting information and invitations.

Finance Committee

Board Committee Date Location
January 6th, 2025, at 12:00pm (Lunch Meeting) Solvang
April 11th, 2025, at 12:00pm (Lunch Meeting) Solvang
November 10th, 2025 at 12:00PM (Lunch Meeting) Solvang

All Finance Committees can convene at 12:00 pm to include lunch at the University Club, Santa Barbara.

 Board Development Committee

Board Committee Date Location
June 18th, 2025, at 4:00pm Santa Maria
September 17th, 2025, at 4:00pm Santa Maria

All Board Development Committees can convene at 4:00pm prior to Regular Board of Director Meetings for one hour.

Nominating Committee

Board Committee Date Location
November 3rd, 2025, at 5:30pm Virtual Meeting

Nominating Committee can convene at 5:30pm in a virtual format, as an ad hoc meeting, to review and approve the 2026 Slate of CenCal Health Board Officers and Committee Appointments.

Note: Standing and ad hoc meetings may convene additionally on an ad hoc and as needed basis should new Board Members be identified and/or to support County Board of Supervisor nominations including appointments to the CenCal Health Board of Directors or to address business or board needs if/as they emerge.

Community Affiliated Health Plan Resolution

Community Affiliated Health Plan Resolution