Bidding farewell to Lodi
Lodi Memorial’s Daniel Wolcott heads to Kern County
Adventist Health Lodi Memorial announced Thursday that its president and CEO will be leaving at the end of November.
Daniel Wolcott, who has served as the hospital’s top official for five years, has been appointed president of the company’s Kern
County Care Delivery, effective Dec. 1.
Wolcott will lead and support Adventist Health’s hospitals in Bakersfield, Tehachapi and Delano, working closely with Adventist Health Delano President David Butler, the company said.
“When I got here, Lodi Memorial was an independent organization just newly affiliated with Adventist Health,” Wolcott said. “And we were able to navigate its integration into the Adventist Health family, and stabilize healthcare in the community for the long term.”
A couple of the accomplishments Wolcott highlighted during his time in Lodi include the creation of an orthopedic program built around Dr. Stephen Howell that focused on total knee replacement, as well as the launch of a new cancer service line and service center, expected to come online in February.
Wolcott also navigated the recent management agreement with Dameron Hospital in Stockton, where he also serves as president and CEO.
Wayne Craig, president of the Lodi Memorial Hospital Foundation, said Wolcott was “an absolute partner in philanthropy” with his organization, helping to raise the $2.6 million needed for diagnostic oncology equipment, which in turn led to Adventist Health providing $10 million for radiology and oncology.
Those funds have helped the upcoming launch of the cancer center, Craig said.
“It’s a real loss for Lodi because of his skills and commitment to the community,” he
said. “It’s exciting to see him have this opportunity, and I expect they’ll benefit from his skill set. He will be missed.”
Outside the hospital walls, Wolcott served as chair of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce board of directors, as well as a board member with the Business Council of San Joaquin and the San Joaquin Health Leadership Council.
He was also the founding president of HealthForce Partners, a workforce development nonprofit organization, which brings Wolcott’s’ counterparts in Merced and Stanislaus together with him to improve the healthcare network in the three counties.
Pat Patrick, president and CEO of the Lodi Chamber of
Commerce, said HealthForce Partners has also put together a plan that helps younger healthcare employees obtain higher paying jobs in the industry.
Patrick also serves on the hospital foundation board, and was on the interview panel when Wolcott was first considered to lead Lodi Memorial. He said during the interview, Wolcott expressed an interest in helping the city’s economic development.
Three months after his appointment, Wolcott approached Patrick after a board meeting and asked about an opening on the chamber’s board.
“He’s done a lot of great things for the chamber, and done many great things for the people of Lodi’s healthcare,” he said. “He ignited a lot of positive change in the hospital that included tremendous progress and a very talented staff.”
As chair of the chamber’s board in 2019, Wolcott encouraged members to be more creative in coming up with ways to make the chamber more valuable to businesses in the community, as well as to all of Lodi.
“It harkens back to what we started with our Vision 2020 plan,” he said. “That was a plan to guide the chamber through 2020, and he has given us ideas that will guide through the next five or 10 years. For San Joaquin County, a talent like his just doesn’t come along like that often. Our loss is Bakersfield’s gain.”
Wolcott said what he’ll miss most about the Lodi Memorial community is the people he’s come to know since his appointment here in 2015.
“I’m going to miss all the wonderful people and dedicated staff who have taken care of all our patients,” he said. “I’m grateful for the years I spent here getting to know all the people who are an integral part of this hospital, and the opportunity to work with a community that will continue to build the reputation of Lodi.”
In a media statement released Thursday, Adventist Health said Wolcott “demonstrated true leadership in the face of COVID-19,” leading both the Lodi and Dameron teams through some of the highest case numbers in San Joaquin County.
Under Wolcott’s leadership, the hospital also made great strides in patient safety, the company said.
“Daniel is a dynamic leader with a passion for quality, innovation and excellence,” Adventist Health CEO Scott Reiner said. “I am confident he has the vision to expand care and services for our communities.”
Lauren Nelson, spokeswoman for Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, said the announcement made to hospital staff Thursday morning was emotional.
“Everyone is proud of Daniel and excited about where he’s going,” she said. “But at the same time there’s sadness, because we have a really tightknit group in Lodi. He definitely helped us become a stronger organization, but we know (Adventist Health) will send us another great leader.”
Terri Day, who is interim president at Dameron Hospital in Stockton, will also serve as interim president at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial. It is unknown when a permanent replacement for Wolcott will be named.