Former Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has been hired as chief executive of the Los Angeles County Medical Association, the area’s largest professional organization for physicians.

In making its announcement, the association noted that as city attorney, Delgadillo sued insurers Anthem Blue Cross of California and Health Net Inc. for fraudulent business practices that lead to denial-of-care claims and cancellation of policies. Health Net of Woodland Hills settled the case by paying $6.3 million to 800 people who had their policies rescinded. The Anthem Blue Cross lawsuit is ongoing.

The association also praised Delgadillo, who left office two years ago, for winning passage of a first-of-its-kind city ordinance to stop “patient dumping” by hospitals.

“Rocky Delgadillo is the ideal choice, given his deep knowledge and experience and his passionate advocacy on behalf of the patients that we serve,” said Dr. Troy Elander, the association’s board president, in a statement. “Rocky has a track record of providing game changing leadership.”

Delgadillo currently is a partner at the law firm of Liner Grode Stein Yankelevitz Sunshine Regenstreif & Taylor LLP. He served as city attorney from 2001 to 2009, and in 2006 lost a race for state attorney general to now-Gov. Jerry Brown. He earlier was deputy mayor for economic development under former L.A. mayor Richard Riordan.

Delgadillo will continue to work for the law firm as well as the medical association, which represents physicians, medical students, interns and residents. The association, which did not disclose Delgadillo’s salary, had been searching more than a year to find a new chief executive

“This is an exciting opportunity,” Delgadillo said in a statement. “In addition to my work here at the firm, I look forward to working at the forefront of current medicine and working to protect LACMA and its members.”