Effort Aims to Increase Access, Elevate Patient Experience & Clinical Excellence

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. –Sutter Health, a leading Northern California-based, not-for-profit integrated health system, announced today its sixth community-based market on the Greater Central Coast. This market will be anchored by Sansum Clinic, a 103-year-old nonprofit outpatient healthcare organization based in Santa Barbara and surrounding communities, which officially became part of Sutter Health on Oct. 2, 2023. The sixth market aligns with Sutter’s other five markets, which include Greater Sacramento, Greater Central Valley, Greater East Bay, Greater San Francisco and Greater Silicon Valley.

“Our community-based markets allow us to laser-focus on delivering comprehensive, equitable care within each region, in order to make the greatest impact for the patients and communities we serve,” announced Warner Thomas, Sutter Health president and CEO. “Expanding Sutter’s footprint, anchored by the Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, furthers our commitment to increasing access to our high-quality healthcare and services for the Central Coast community where they live and work.”

Kurt Ransohoff, MD, FACP, Greater Central Coast Market President

Greater Central Coast Market Leadership

Sutter Health’s Greater Central Coast market will aim to increase patient access and further elevate clinical excellence and expertise, and will be led by Kurt N. Ransohoff, M.D., FACP, who will assume the role of market president. Dr. Ransohoff is a dedicated physician leader who for the past 22 years guided Sansum Clinic as its CEO and chief medical officer and was instrumental in Sansum joining Sutter.  Sansum Clinic has received numerous accolades and awards for its high clinical quality during Dr. Ransohoff’s tenure.

“Joining Sutter Health and its sixth market presents our Clinic with an incredible opportunity to expand access to care and serve more patients,” Dr. Ransohoff said. “It will afford us a solid foundation to better care for our patients and our people across Santa Barbara County into the future and recruit more physicians. Our teams are already coming together to strategize on the best ways to meet the growing demand for services in our region. This new ability to collaborate across Sutter’s different markets and service lines will elevate our patient care and allow us to tap into resources we did not have previously.”

Chad Hine, Greater Central Coast Market Ambulatory CEO

Chad Hine will serve as the market’s Ambulatory CEO. As a respected and proven leader, Chad has used his in-depth financial and analytical experience as the COO of Sansum Clinic for the past 9 years. He previously held the title of CFO at Sansum.

Sutter Health is also pleased to announce the following leaders joining the Greater Central Coast market:

• Alex Bauer, Market Chief Financial Officer
• Matthew Baumann, Market Vice President, Clinical Service Line
• Lindsay Cortina, Market Vice President, Strategy
• Karen Handy, Market Vice President, Clinical Service Line
• Dan Weigel, Market Vice President, Human Resources

Sutter Health Bay Board Leadership

Arnold (Arnie) Schaffer, Sutter Health Bay Board of Directors

As part of Sansum Clinic joining Sutter Health and its newest market, two of Sansum Clinic’s former Trustees, Arnold (Arnie) Schaffer and Janet Garufis, have joined the Sutter Health Bay Board of Directors.

“I am excited and honored to be joining the Sutter Health Bay Board,” said Schaffer. “Our partnership with Sutter Health is great for our community and patient care. New investments from Sutter will allow us to sustain and expand the critical services we offer, and it is my honor to represent the voice of Santa Barbara and of our residents as those decisions are being made.”

Janet Garufis, Sutter Health Bay Board of Directors

“Becoming part of an organization that has capacity allows you to dream,” added Garufis. “It allows you to fulfill the dreams of things that you know are important to be done. With this extraordinary partnership, we can bring new resources to bear in ways that we’ve been thinking about for years. I am thrilled to be at the table with Sutter Health, as we work together to expand access to high-quality, multispecialty healthcare here on the Central Coast.”

Sutter Health Greater Central Coast Advisory Board Leadership

Most members of Sansum Clinic’s former Board of Trustees have transitioned onto the Sutter Health Greater Central Coast Advisory Board, led by Chair Vicki Hazard, Vice Chair Beth Vos and Secretary George Short. The Sutter Health Greater Central Coast Advisory Board strives to be representative of the communities the Greater Central Coast market serves and will provide regular advice and counsel on issues related to strategic development, patient access and experience, programmatic development, philanthropic priorities, physician and staff recruitment and other topics important to the Clinic’s successful operation.

Sansum-Santa Barbara Medical Clinic, Inc. Leadership

Physician services are provided to Sansum Clinic by the Sansum-Santa Barbara Medical Clinic, Inc.

Dr. Jeffrey Hadsall

Jeffrey Hadsall, M.D., will serve as President of the Board of Directors of Sansum-Santa Barbara Medical Clinic, Inc. Dr. Hadsall, board certified in internal medicine, has been caring for patients of Sansum Clinic since 1999.

Dr. Marjorie Newman

Marjorie Newman, M.D., will serve as the Chief Medical Officer of Sansum-Santa Barbara Medical Clinic, Inc. She will continue to serve as the Medical Director for Sansum Clinic. A board-certified internal medicine physician, Dr. Newman joined Sansum Clinic as Assistant Medical Director in 2002.

About the Sutter Health and Sansum Clinic Partnership:

Sutter Health officially announced Sansum Clinic had joined its integrated not-for-profit system in Fall 2023, with the primary goal of expanding access to high-quality healthcare. Sutter has committed to significant investments in facilities and capital improvement projects at Sansum including advancements to Sansum’s ambulatory surgery center services, such as state-of-the-art technology and three new operating rooms at Foothill Surgery Center that were completed at the end of 2023. Sutter has also committed to providing funding for more advanced diagnostic imaging services and a women’s imaging center.