Long Beach Memorial and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach Name New Chief Operating Officers

Ikenna (Ike) Mmeje, a dynamic executive with robust hospital experience and a proven track record of success, has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Long Beach Memorial, part of MemorialCare Health System. Mmeje replaces Tamra Kaplan, PharmD, who is the new COO at MemorialCare’s Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach.

Following his Administrative Residency at MemorialCare a decade ago, Mmeje served in leadership roles at Sutter Health and Tenet Health hospitals in California. Most recently CEO at Doctors Hospital of Manteca and COO of Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, he was previously Administrative Director of Clinical and Research Services at Oakland’s 819-bed Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. A Los Angeles native, Mmeje earned his Bachelor’s in Public Health & Social Welfare from University of California, Berkeley and Master’s in Health Services Administration from University of Michigan. An American College of Healthcare Executives Fellow, he and his wife Renee have four children.

Kaplan joined MemorialCare in 1989 as a clinical pharmacy resident followed by successive leadership positions at MemorialCare hospitals and the health system, serving the last nine years as COO of Long Beach Memorial. Her collaborative leadership style has helped advance service excellence, exceptional patient care and positive patient outcomes. Kaplan received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from University of California, Irvine and Doctor of Pharmacy from University of the Pacific. She and her husband, Scott, have three children.

Long Beach Memorial and Miller Children’s—situated adjacent to each other on 56 acres—comprise the West’s second largest campus with 822 inpatient beds and are among a small number of facilities nationwide with children’s and adult teaching hospitals on the same campus—thus being in a unique position to provide a lifetime of care in one location.

“Ike and Tamra are outstanding, patient-focused leaders committed to engaging and encouraging employees, physicians and volunteers to reach the highest level of service and care,” says John Bishop, CEO, Long Beach Memorial, Community Hospital Long Beach and Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach.

“Growing up in South Los Angeles County and having an earlier professional experience with MemorialCare, it’s thrilling to come home and be part of a team that is transforming health care with compassion and excellence for what’s best for the communities we serve,” says Mmeje.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to focus my experience on Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital that annually cares for 100,000 children and 6,000 newborns, and supports pediatric regional care delivery within Los Angeles and Orange counties,” says Kaplan.

Long Beach Memorial--consistently recognized among top performing hospitals by U.S. News & World Report—is the region’s first choice for comprehensive care in virtually every clinical specialty. Centers of Excellence include MemorialCare Heart 7 Vascular Institute, MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute, MemorialCare Rehabilitation Institute, MemorialCare Orthopedic Institute, MemorialCare Neuroscience Institute, MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center, Stroke Program and the Emergency and Trauma Center. Visit memorialcare.org/long-beach-memorial.

Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach treats conditions ranging from common to complex—as well as maternity care for expectant mothers—under one roof. National pioneer in perinatal and neonatal medicine for high-risk mothers and babies, it is renowned for advances in treating fragile newborns with one of the largest and most respected neonatal intensive care units; for Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center; pediatric intensive care, heart, orthopedics and emergency centers; and rated among the best for treating cystic fibrosis, red blood disorders and sickle cell anemia. Visit MillerChildrens.org.