Derrick J. Gruen
Associate Vice President Clinic Services
Adventist Health
1479 W. Lacey Blvd
Hanford, CA 93230
559-410-1612

Please describe your background and current activities and work related to the rural health industry:

I am a licensed board certified Physical Therapist, currently working as an Associate Vice President, for Adventist Health Central California. I oversee multiple departments including the Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Rehabilitation Departments, Sleep Lab Services, and the Industrial Medicine JobCare Clinics. Adventist Health Community Care is a network of 17 Rural Health Clinics with a service area of 2500 square miles, providing a safety net to the underserved in the Central Valley of California. The Rural Health Clinics, with a staff of over 300 employees and 150 healthcare professionals, will provide over 375,000 patient visits this year.

Please list recent organizational and leadership skills of importance to rural health:

My time is spent developing and promoting new community programs, facilitating the growth of new clinic sites, and coaching staff to provide the best possible health care to the residents of the Central Valley. I have also attended many leadership courses such as Training by Quint Studer, MAP Leadership training, The Malcolm Baldrige Quest for Excellence Conference, and Deploying the Toyota Production Systems in Healthcare. I was recently appointed as a commissioner to the Fresno-Kings-Madera Regional Health Authority. In this role, I hope to help guide the development of how healthcare services are delivered in our region.

Please describe why you want to serve on the Board of Directors and what contribution you see making to the organization:

I would like to serve on the Board of Directors to be a voice for my region and to further the growth of rural health in California. I will advocate for our residents/patients as they deserve access to both primary and specialty quality healthcare.

Biography:

Dr. Gruen is Associate Vice President for Adventist Health Central California. He oversees multiple departments including the Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Rehabilitation Department, Sleep Lab Services, and Industrial Medicine JobCare Clinics. Adventist Health Community Care is a network of 17 RHCs with a service area of 2500 square miles, providing a safety net to the underserved in the Central Valley of California. The Rehabilitation Department includes two outpatient Therapy Centers and three inpatient hospital sites. The JobCare Clinics recently expanded to a total of four clinic sites. His time is spent developing and promoting new community programs, facilitating the growth of new clinic sites, and coaching staff to provide the best possible health care to the residents of the Central Valley. With a staff of over 400 employees and 150 healthcare professionals in 27 individual clinic sites, they will provide over 375,000 patient visits this year and represent a combined gross revenue budget of $75 million.

Originally from Ventura, California, Derrick has received both Bachelors and Masters in Physical Therapy and a second Masters in Leadership and Organizational Studies. He just completed a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy. Derrick has completed many advanced courses in Physical Therapy including two long-term manual therapy courses, which enabled him to pass the Orthopedic Manual Therapy Certification Exam and is currently one of five board-certified physical therapists in Kings County. He has also attended many leadership courses such as Training by Quint Studer, MAP Leadership training, The Malcolm Baldrige Quest for Excellence Conference, and Deploying the Toyota Production Systems in Healthcare.

2010 CSRHA Board Elections