BOARD CHAIR REPORT – January 2026
January 16, 2026Leer en español
BOARD LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY – JANUARY 2026
Dear Sonoma Valley Community,
As we begin a new year, I’m grateful and inspired by the dedication and quality of care provided by every member of the Sonoma Valley Health Care District, in partnership with UCSF, throughout 2025. Looking ahead, I’m confident we will continue to build on our mission in 2026 to maintain, improve, and restore the health of everyone in our community.
City of Sonoma Update & Regional Coordination
Sonoma City Manager David Guhin shared several near-term priorities. The City welcomed a new Mayor, Ron Wellander, and the 2026 election will involve three of our five Health Care District zones. A new Parks and Recreation Department is underway. The General Plan update will guide the next 20 to 30 years across land use, housing, and emergency planning. The State of the Valley takes place at the Sebastiani Theatre on January 29. We appreciate the City’s coordination on initiatives that support health and safety, including the Evacuation Study scheduled for February.
2025 Annual Hospital Community Report
Community Outreach and Marketing Manager Dawn Castelli presented Sonoma Valley Hospital’s 2025 Annual Community Report, which will appear in the January 23 edition of the Index-Tribune. The report highlights installation of the 3T MRI, growth in advanced orthopedic and robotic technologies, and expanded diagnostic capabilities. With partners like Vintage House, the hospital brought the Active Aging & Wellness series and the Golden Harvest Senior Resource & Wellness Fair to neighbors across the Valley. With these efforts and expanded access, SVH served meaningfully more patients in 2025 than in 2024, including 2,232 MRIs, 11,241 emergency visits, and 1,503 surgeries and procedures. See below.
Board Committee Assignments for 2026
Each of the four Sonoma Valley Health Care District Board committees includes two Board members, along with hospital leadership and community representatives.
• Affiliation Oversight Committee (Wendy Lee Myatt and Dennis Bloch)
• Finance & Audit Committee (Ed Case and Dennis Bloch)
• Quality Committee (Dan Kittleson and Wendy Lee Myatt)
• Governance Committee (Denise Kalos and Wendy Lee Myatt)
Chief Medical Officer Report
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrick Okolo outlined four priorities for 2026, grounded in quality, safety, access, integration, and reliability. These priorities are re-imagining outpatient services, delivering clinical value from the UCSF–SVH partnership, preparing to evaluate emerging science on human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) and adopting evidence-based protocols if appropriate, and putting recent survey gains into daily practice. This reflects a disciplined approach of execution over aspiration to ensure coordinated, high-quality care across settings.
Chief Executive Officer Report
Chief Executive Officer Kelley Kaiser provided an update on strategic initiatives and operations. In partnership with UCSF, the District and the hospital are revitalizing the Affiliation Agreement to create a comprehensive, sustainable, and integrated network that serves Sonoma Valley now and into the future. November was a solid month for operations. The hospital exceeded budget from operations and finished at breakeven operating margin, and the year-to-date operating margin stands at 2.9 percent. Parcel tax revenues were received in December, and IGT funding remains on track for January. Kelley’s 90-day plan is moving forward, including meetings with Board members to align goals, regular touchpoints with the leadership team, and updated strategic priorities ahead of a spring Strategic Plan review. That review will be the focus of the Board offsite on March 19. The hospital is establishing twice-yearly All-Employee Forums and appreciated the strong turnout at the December 9 welcome event. Philanthropy continues to advance, with more than $725,000 raised toward the $1 million Stryker Operating Room Integration System. Entering 2026, capital planning remains a focus in coordination with the Foundation. Required seismic compliance documentation was filed by January 1, 2026, and an updated hospital website is planned for next quarter to improve access to information and services.
Chief Financial Officer Report
Chief Financial Officer Ben Armfield reported continued positive momentum in November. Performance exceeded budget from operations and the month closed at breakeven margin. The year-to-date operating margin is 2.9 percent. Parcel tax revenues were received in December, and IGT funding remains scheduled for January. Cash and expenses are being actively managed as volumes grow, with particular strength across outpatient services.
Board Comments
Board Member Ed Case thanked the Sonoma Valley leadership team for their collective execution throughout 2025. The talent, expertise, and experience of each individual, and their collaboration, created positive momentum for the hospital and the Sonoma community.
As we start this new year, after hearing from our City Manager, our CEO, our CMO, and reflecting on 2025 community engagement, our theme for 2026 is simple: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work. To the community members who serve on our Finance & Audit, Quality, and Governance Committees, thank you for your time, thought leadership, and partnership. Your contributions enable us to fulfill our mission to maintain, improve, and restore the health of everyone in our community.
Warm regards,
Wendy Lee Myatt
Chair, Sonoma Valley Health Care District Board
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