Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has appointed Lara Khouri, MBA, MPH, to be Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this role, Khouri is responsible for overseeing operational performance across the CHLA enterprise, working closely with clinical and administrative leaders to develop and improve processes, procedures and systems while addressing patient care needs, patient and team member experience, and CHLA’s impact in the broader community.
“Since joining CHLA in 2015, Lara has time and again demonstrated stellar acumen and dynamic leadership that has benefited both the organization and the precious lives entrusted to our care,” says Paul S. Viviano, President and Chief Executive Officer at CHLA. “Her vision and vast expertise in strategic organizational development has helped CHLA provide more specialized care to more children while developing valuable partnerships with pediatricians and advocates throughout the region. Her unwavering compassion and commitment to creating hope and building a healthier future for every child is exactly what’s needed to take CHLA to the next level of growth, expansion and world-class care.”
Khouri most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer since December 2020, and has held several other leadership roles during her CHLA tenure. She brings more than 20 years of experience in health care administration, performance management, quality, cost-performance measurement and improvement, integrated care models and value-based payment models.
Since coming to CHLA, Khouri has led the development of dozens of pediatric programs that bring together world-class, multidisciplinary experts to care for the most complex patients. Her financial and operational expertise has paved the way for the hospital to advance critical research and patient care efforts, including an $8.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the long-term effects of COVID-19. Under her leadership, CHLA has become the leading pediatrics facility in Los Angeles County, marked by a 66% growth in market share and market leadership in Cancer, Heart, Neurosciences and Orthopedics.
“We have a unique opportunity to reimagine the way we deliver family-centered care to the Los Angeles community and beyond by developing the best practices of today and setting the gold standards of tomorrow,” says Khouri. “I am honored to collaborate with industry-leading doctors, nurses, researchers and partners to ensure we are providing access to high-quality, specialized and personalized care for every child, regardless of their background or circumstances. Our belief that every child deserves a healthier future is the driving force that will continue to accelerate CHLA’s quality of care, research and innovation well into the future.”
Khouri’s commitment to outstanding clinical care for patients and families from every walk of life is reflected in CHLA’s recognition by several distinguished medical and management surveys, including multiple successive top-10 national rankings in the U.S. News’ Honor Roll of Best Children’s Hospitals.
Khouri serves as a trusted board member and advisor for several organizations, including the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House, Women in Health Administration of Southern California, The American Hospital Association Maternal Child Health Council, the American Hospital Association Population and Community Health Advisory Committee, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management Alumni Advisory Board, and the State of California’s Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) Children’s Services Advisory Group.
Khouri earned a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Public Health from Columbia University; she has undergraduate degrees in geography and economics from George Washington University.
