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New CEO for El Camino
Tomi Ryba comes from Minnesota hospital; will be paid nearly $700,000 a year

El Camino Hospital announced that it has selected a new president and CEO. Tomi Ryba will take the helm of the Mountain View healthcare organization effective October 5.

Ryba has an extensive background in healthcare administration, a statement from the hospital said. Most recently, she served as president of United Hospital in St. Paul, Minn. The hospital board's decision to appoint Ryba was unanimous, according to a statement released Aug. 25.

Ryba will be paid a base salary of $695,000, according to Einarson. That's $62,660 more than former CEO Ken Graham's $632,640 annual salary; Ryba will have the opportunity to earn a 20-percent annual incentive bonus, or about $139,000.

More than 50 qualified candidates from all around the country were found, board member Patty Einarson wrote in an email to the Voice. "The decision was challenging, as there were so many strong candidates to choose from," Einarson wrote. However, the board ultimately felt that Ryba was the best candidate. "She has 150 percent of the board's support."

Among Ryba's many bona fides, El Camino board chair John Zoglin cited her "legacy of operationally strengthening and developing hospitals, ultimately taking them to the next level of revenue growth and excellence in patient care."

Einarson wrote that she and the rest of the board "are confident (Ryba's) attributes will bolster El Camino Hospital's strength and future as we head into our next 50 years.

Prior to her tenure at United Hospital, Ryba served as chief operating officer at UCSF Medical Center where "she led a five-year turnaround in operations, bringing the net income (of the center) from a loss position to a $100 million operating margin," according to the El Camino statement.

The new hospital chief holds a master's in health administration from Chapman University in Southern California. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Riverside.

Ryba identified El Camino as a hospital with a "reputation of providing exceptional quality and service," and said she was excited to begin in her new role. "It is a privilege to carry on the tradition of excellence and to position the hospital for health reform mandates that will influence how care is organized in coming years."