Press Release
Lumetra Names Linda Sawyer New Chief Executive Officer
SAN FRANCISCO, Wednesday, December 3, 2008 — The Board of Directors of Lumetra is pleased to announce the appointment of Linda M. Sawyer, PhD, RN, as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Sawyer previously served as Lumetra’s Chief Operating Officer. In that capacity she held program leadership and contract management responsibility for the organization’s private and public sector contracts.
“Linda’s leadership, intellect, dedication, experience, and judgment make her the ideal choice for leading Lumetra into the future,” says James Gomez, Chair, Lumetra’s Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer, California Association of Health Facilities.
Dr. Sawyer succeeds Jo Ellen H. Ross, who co-founded Lumetra and served as its President and CEO during the past 25 years. Ms Ross recently stepped down from the organization’s executive leadership, though will continue as a consultant to the Board and staff. “Under her visionary leadership, the work of Lumetra improved the healthcare system and lives of millions of Californians,” said Gomez “We all are deeply indebted to Jo Ellen for her passion, dedication, and service.”
Dr. Sawyer joined Lumetra in January 2000. She has more than 15 years of progressive management experience and 30 years of clinical practice experience as a registered nurse. Before joining Lumetra, Dr. Sawyer was an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing and still maintains a faculty appointment at UCSF in the Community Health Systems department. She has an extensive background in quality improvement, home health, managed care, cross-cultural issues in healthcare, and ethics.
Dr. Sawyer has served on the Board of Directors of the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Nurses Credentialing Center, ANA Political Action Committee, California Nurses Association (CNA), and the Alameda County Nurses Association (ACNA). She is an active member of the Chief Operating Officer Business Forum and the American College of Healthcare Executives. She was formerly a member of the Technical Quality Committee of the Integrated Healthcare Association and is currently on the Steering Committee of the California Quality Collaborative at the Pacific Business Group on Health.
Dr. Sawyer has a Master’s degree in International and Cross-Cultural Nursing and a PhD in Nursing from UCSF. Her extensive publication credits include a co-authorship of “Older Women’s Health Gap” in the 4th Quarter 2007 CAHQ Journal as well as co-authorship of “The Business Case for Patient Safety,” in 2008’s 1st Quarter CAHQ Journal.
Commenting on her elevation to the CEO position, Dr. Sawyer affirmed “Lumetra is a vibrant organization with a strong focus on payer, provider, life sciences, and public sector clients. Our current engagements range from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to the Health Authority—Abu Dhabi and Takeda Pharmaceuticals to the California Department of Managed Care. These clients and others recognize that our professional services measurably improve healthcare quality while reducing costs through the innovative utilization of clinical expertise and analytic rigor combined with social marketing and cultural competency. I look forward to leading Lumetra in this next phase of its success.”
