The Board of Directors of St. Luke’s Hospital has selected Dr. Martin Brotman, President and CEO of California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), to help lead the turnaround of St. Luke’s.  “Brotman was selected because of his successful turnaround of the once-failing California Pacific Medical Center almost a decade ago,” states St. Luke’s Board Chair Connie Mardikian. “He brings both a strong business and medical background to the position at a very critical time.”

Brotman will serve as interim CEO at St. Luke’s while remaining CEO at CPMC during the public process leading to a final affiliation between the two organizations.  “St. Luke’s is a critical part of San Francisco’s health care system that our community can’t afford to lose,” Brotman says. “I am looking forward to the opportunities for success in revitalizing St. Luke’s Hospital, and I’m optimistic that we can maintain St. Luke’s as a beacon of hope for those who need it most.”

Brotman will head a Turnaround Committee, a leadership group comprised of board members, medical staff and administrators from both CPMC and St. Luke’s, accountable to the St. Luke’s Board of Directors. This committee will be charged with overseeing the affiliation process.

CPMC and St. Luke’s, both Sutter Health affiliates, announced an affiliation agreement in September between the two facilities in an effort to stem continued multi-million dollar losses at St. Luke’s, which is expected to lose around $26 million this year.  St. Luke’s provides more charity care in San Francisco than any other private medical facility, acting as one of San Francisco’s two “safety net” hospitals, a mission which will continue.

Ten years ago, Brotman was named CEO of CPMC and is credited with revitalizing the 150-year-old health care provider.  Brotman and his management team have been able to bring stability to CPMC’s three campuses as well as to the patient services offered in San Francisco. Success has been based on rededicating the hospital’s priorities to the highest quality care, the commitment to providing a full continuum of care, cost-effective management and an ongoing commitment to provide the ideal patient experience. 

Since its affiliation with Sutter Health in 2001, and under the leadership of John Williams, St. Luke’s has made significant progress in many initiatives that are crucial to the future of the organization. These include investments in facilities, technology, nursing quality and new programs such as the new cardiovascular and orthopedics centers. Despite these improvements, a closer integration with CPMC and better access to CPMC resources are essential to revitalizing St. Luke’s.

“Brotman has had the good fortune to work with some of the most talented physicians at CPMC and now at St. Luke’s,” Mardikian says. “Though we still have enormous obstacles to overcome with St. Luke’s, I’m optimistic that the tide is turning. This is a health care facility that people of all backgrounds have counted on to be there in their times of greatest need. We will do everything in our power to keep St. Luke’s healthy for many years to come.”

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