Kimberly Chavalas Cripe
President and Chief Executive Officer
CHOC Children's
 

Committed to the fundamental truth that illness or injury shouldn’t halt childhood, Kimberly Chavalas Cripe leads CHOC, one of the nation’s premier pediatric healthcare systems, as its president and chief executive officer. 

At CHOC’s helm since 1997, Kim has worked tirelessly to improve patient care, outcomes and experience, and cultivate a growing healthcare community firmly rooted in a culture of safety, excellence, innovation and collaboration.

A passionate advocate for children’s health, Kim has deftly navigated a complicated pediatric healthcare paradox: Pediatric health systems must do as much to prevent illness as treat it, while also balancing an ongoing increase in patient acuity. To that end, under Kim’s leadership, CHOC has become a forerunner of population health management, while also investing in opportunities for growth, partnership, research and innovation with the singular goal of fulfilling CHOC’s mission to nurture, advance and protect the health and well-being of children.

Recognizing that mental health is equally important as physical health, Kim spearheaded efforts that led CHOC to establish a robust pediatric system of mental healthcare designed to be scalable and replicable by other health systems nationwide. The cornerstone of the system is CHOC’s Cherese Mari Laulhere Mental Health Inpatient Center, the region’s first pediatric inpatient mental health treatment center that includes specialty programming for children younger than 12. 

Additionally, Kim serves as the president of CRC Real Estate Corporation and the CHOC Foundation, which is responsible for philanthropic fundraising to support the mission, vision and strategic plan of the pediatric healthcare enterprise.

Before her appointment as president and CEO in 1997, Kim joined CHOC in 1991 and served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Previously, she held a series of progressively responsible hospital, regional and corporate positions at Humana Inc., now known as HCA and United. She began her healthcare career at University Community Hospital in Tampa, Fla., where she served from 1978 to 1984.

Kim has assumed active leadership positions with various organizations that advance the health of children. She is the past chair of the Children’s Hospital Association board of trustees. Kim is also a member of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals board of trustees, where she is the treasurer and chairs the finance and investment committee. Kim is a member of the UC Irvine Chancellor’s CEO Roundtable and a member of the CEO Leadership Alliance of Orange County. Her work with the California Children’s Hospitals Association contributed to the successful passing of several bond measures that provided billions of dollars in funding for critical capital improvement projects since 2004.

As a visionary voice in pediatric healthcare, Kim has penned multiple articles in a range of publications, including a co-authored piece in “Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare.” The article details CHOC’s commitment to achieving the highest patient safety outcomes, including its decision to elevate established quality goals and its close collaboration with the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. 

Kim conducted her undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California and the University of South Florida, and received her master’s degree in public administration, health services management, from Golden Gate University.