Queen of the Valley Hospital Names New Clincial Leader

COVINA, Calif. — Emanate Health, the largest health care system in the San Gabriel Valley, has announced the appointment of Mary Konyalian RN, BSHA, MSN, MA, CNRN, CSSGB, to the position of Chief Nursing and Clinical Executive at Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina—overseeing all clinical operations and patient care initiatives at the facility.

Konyalian brings 10 years of executive hospital management experience to Emanate Health and assumes her new role as the hospital begins the largest physical expansion in its 60-year history. In addition to her existing duties at the 325-bed hospital, Konyalian will oversee all clinical operations of a new state-of-the-art intensive care unit, and an expanded emergency department, addressing growing needs in West Covina and the surrounding service area. These facilities are expected to open before the end of 2023.

“Mary is a respected, talented and creative health care executive who always seeks innovative approaches to solve clinical challenges, streamline operations and maximize the productivity of the staff that reports to her,” said Emanate Health Chief Executive Officer Robert H. Curry. “We’re thankful to have her leadership overseeing patient care and the clinical expansion of services in the upcoming years.”

Now in her 11th year at Emanate Health, Konyalian was most recently Queen of the Valley Hospital Vice President of Nursing and Ancillary Support Services, where she managed clinical operations in departments throughout the hospital for three years. Before that, Konyalian was the Corporate Director of the Neuroscience service line, as well as the Neurosurgical Unit, the Direct Observation Unit and the Medical/Surgical Unit.

Among her noteworthy accomplishments, Konyalian oversaw Emanate Health’s efforts to receive a Comprehensive Stroke Center designation at Queen of the Valley Hospital earlier this year from Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services, allowing the facility to receive emergency ambulance runs with urgent stroke care patients. The designation also means Queen of the Valley Hospital staffs medical experts capable of treating complex strokes and providing specialized treatment options including medications and neuro-intervention procedures available 24/7.

“Our hospital’s recognition affirms the continued commitment of our staff and physicians to provide exceptional patient care and outcomes through clinical excellence and innovation,” Curry said. “Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Emanate Health emerged as a leader in providing quality care and lifesaving COVID-19 treatments unavailable to patients at other hospitals in the region.”

Before joining Emanate Health, Konyalian was the Director of DOU-Telemetry at Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, where she successfully oversaw the Transformational Care Initiative, a Lean and Six Sigma methodology designed to reduce waste and improve efficiency. Under her guidance, Glendale Memorial reduced the time it took to discharge a patient from four hours to 90 minutes. Earlier in her career, Konyalian served as a nursing supervisor and charge nurse at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital for more than 10 years.

An inclusion and diversity advocate, Konyalian was a founding member of the Armenian American Nurses Association and served two terms as president of the organization. She was also active with the Armenian American Medical Society and the Armenian Medical International Congress, helping to organize nursing and medical symposiums in Armenia and the United States. Konyalian also volunteered more than 3,000 hours to help displaced and emotionally distressed families.

She holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with a focus on family dynamics from Phillips Graduate Institute in Chatsworth, Calif. Konyalian was compelled to pursue this degree as a result of her volunteer work with Armenian displacees. She also holds a Master’s degree in Nursing Administration from the University of Phoenix.

“I’m very excited about my new role at Emanate Health and the opportunities ahead,” Konyalian said. “Throughout my career, I’ve always focused on making decisions that are aligned with my organization’s mission and values. I look forward to building good working relationships, identifying a common purpose with my colleagues and collaborating to provide a safe and compassionate environment for our patients.”

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About Emanate Health

Emanate Health exists to help people keep well in body, mind and spirit by providing quality health care services in a safe, compassionate environment. Emanate Health is the largest nonprofit health care provider serving the one million residents of the San Gabriel Valley in California. The system provides specialized care in Behavioral Health, Cancer, Cardiovascular, Emergency, Neuroscience and Stroke, Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, and Women’s Health. Its family of hospitals and hospice include Emanate Health Inter-Community in Covina, Emanate Health Queen of the Valley in West Covina, Emanate Health Foothill Presbyterian in Glendora, Emanate Health Hospice and Home Care in West Covina, as well as other clinics throughout the region. Year after year the health care system has been voted “Best Hospital” and “Best Place to Work” and providers are consistently among the “Top Doctors” in Los Angeles County and hospital services are recognized for quality care. Visit emanatehealth.org, our Newsroom and connect with us on LinkedIn │Twitter │ Instagram │ Facebook.