CommonSpirit Health’s newly expanded Southern California Division announced the appointment of Ron Yolo, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN as chief nursing officer (CNO) of the newly formed Southern California Division. In his new role as CNO, Yolo will support the division’s 18 Dignity Health hospitals in reaching their overarching goals related to safety, quality, population health, patient experience and employee engagement.

“Ron Yolo has committed his career to nursing excellence and will be a tremendous asset to the Southern California Division team,” stated Julie Sprengel, president and CEO, CommonSpirit Health’s Southern California Division. “His strong approach to nursing leadership and his dedication to improving quality, safety and experience for every patient will further ensure all of our clinical care teams are supported.”

Yolo began his career as a nursing assistant at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach in 1999. During his 22-year tenure, Yolo proved himself as an effective leader and excelled through various leadership positions within the Dignity Health organization. In 2018, Yolo became the CNO at Dignity

Health – Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, during which time he was instrumental in developing and managing systems to deliver evidenced-based care. He has championed multiple projects including chairing the development of CommonSpirit Health’s National Nursing Vision and coordination of large-scale community COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

“I look forward to partnering with all stakeholders to address key issues surrounding the delivery of safe and compassionate patient care,” stated Yolo. “Now, more than ever, nursing’s input and perspective on initiatives that drive quality care require considerable collaboration and thoughtfulness, prior to execution.”

Yolo holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Yale University, and previously earned his MBA from University of Southern California, and his MSN from University of California Los Angeles. He is also an adjunct professor at the Yale School of Nursing DNP program.