Lara Khouri has taken over as chief executive of Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Long Beach.
Her new role at the medical center will have her focus on expanding specialized services and programs and the community’s access to them. Khouri succeeds Blair Kent for the top job.
“As a former Long Beach resident, this is a full circle moment for my family and me,” Khouri said in a statement. “I’m excited for the future of pediatric and women’s health care in Long Beach and beyond.
“Operational excellence, innovation, and partnership will be critical to how we grow,” she continued. “By leveraging advanced analytics, research, and emerging technologies – while keeping patients and families at the center – we can scale responsibly without losing what makes this organization exceptional.”
Khouri returns to Long Beach with a wealth of pediatric experience. She spent more than a decade with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in East Hollywood and worked with similar institutions in Boston and Philadelphia.
“What distinguishes Miller Children’s & Women’s is not only the depth of clinical
expertise, but the intentional integration of pediatric and women’s care under one model,” Khouri said.
In addition to continuing Miller Children’s role as a teaching hospital, Khouri plans to up transportation services that will give access to community hospitals in need of the medical center. She also hopes to develop artificial intelligence-based platforms to enhance the hospital’s digital capabilities.
“Lara brings a rare combination of strategic discipline, clinical understanding, and mission-driven leadership,” said David Kim, president of Miller Children’s parent MemorialCare. “Her ability to build nationally recognized programs while partnering with physicians and inspiring care teams positions Miller Children’s & Women’s for its next phase of growth in both pediatric and women’s health.”
With a net patient revenue of $462 million in 2024, Miller Children’s ranked No. 37 on the Business Journal’s List of Hospitals by net patient revenue last year. Additionally, Miller Children’s ranked No. 46 on the List of Hospitals by staffed beds last year, with 179 staffed beds out of a total number of 357.
