The oldest healthcare group in Los Angeles County is getting a new chief.
The Los Angeles County Medical Association has chosen veteran healthcare organization leader Katie Jordan as its next chief executive. She is replacing Gustavo Friederichsen, who is retiring at the end of the year after 10 years in the post.
Jordan will start transitioning into the chief executive post on Nov. 16 and take over sole leadership responsibilities at the start of next year.
The association was founded by a group of seven physicians back in 1871, when the county had a population of just over 15,000. The initial purpose of the group was to set professional standards of practice for physicians setting up shop in the county. Today, the association has about 7,500 dues-paying members and represents roughly 30,000 physicians practicing in the county.
An ‘extraordinary moment’
Jordan most recently served as chief executive of the American Occupational Therapy Association, a professional membership organization based in Bethesda, Maryland. Previously, she served as chief administrative officer of USC’s clinical services office, which provides an ethical compliance framework for the university’s clinical care programs, including medicine, dentistry, psychology, social work and rehabilitation services. She has also worked with the American Medical Association on issues related to coding, reimbursement and payment policy.
“This is an extraordinary moment for organized medicine,” Jordan said. “Physicians are practicing in increasingly complex and dynamic healthcare environments, and LACMA plays an important role in bringing physicians together, strengthening their collective voice, protecting their practices and supporting sustainable careers.”
