OCEANSIDE — Tri-City Healthcare District president and CEO Steve Dietlin will retire at the end of March after spending more than a decade in leadership at the hospital.
Tri-City board chairman Rocky Chavez accepted Dietlin’s letter of retirement “with deep regret” on Dec. 30, praising his leadership over the last 10 years.
“Steve has been an outstanding, transformational leader for our hospital and community,” Chavez stated in an official announcement of Dietlin’s retirement. “He will be sorely missed.”
Dietlin first joined Tri-City as the chief financial officer in 2013. Over the next few years, Dietlin was responsible for a positive turnaround of the hospital’s financial status. Dietlin was named president and CEO in 2016. He has more than 30 years of healthcare management experience.
During Dietlin’s time as CEO, the hospital launched several initiatives to improve the region’s healthcare, including the creation of a new inpatient psychiatric health facility in partnership with the county as well as an almost-finished new MRI suite and an upcoming emergency room remodel.
Dietlin also helped to secure funding for the hospital and to establish Tri-City as a leader in community engagement through its COASTAL Commitment outreach initiative, partnering with more than 80 local organizations to focus on regional issues like access to healthcare, community and social support, economic security and education, and homelessness and housing instability.
Dietlin was a stabilizing force for the hospital through his calm and thoughtful approach to leadership, according to healthcare district officials.
In his retirement announcement, Dietlin expressed his pride over the hospital’s accomplishments during his tenure.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the communities of Carlsbad, Oceanside and Vista over the past decade,” Dietlin said. “Leading and working side-by-side with thousands of dedicated Tri-City team members and community leaders to deliver our mission to advance the health and wellness of our community has been a rewarding experience that I will always carry with me.”
The Tri-City Healthcare District board of directors has formed an ad hoc committee to find Dietlin’s replacement.
