BIG BEAR NEWS – Big Bear Lake, CA – The Bear Valley Community Healthcare District has announced the retirement of their Chief Executive Officer, John Friel, effective this October. Mr. Friel has served in this role since May, 2016. He tells Kbear that after 58 years in the medical field, there comes a time to enjoy your family and grandchildren. He added “ I started my career as an Orderly at Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston and never left the business. I was enthralled with the excitement and the reward I got from working with the patients. It was my calling.” After becoming a Registered Nurse, Mr. Friel continued his education to enter the field of medical administration.
While serving at BVCHD, he has been credited with providing the organization with financial stability and positioning the district to meet upcoming mandated seismic requirements. While under his leadership, BVCHD has won several awards including the Best Overall Performance Critical Access Hospital in 2019 and the Beta Heart Quality Performance for the last three years. During his tenure at Bear Valley Community Hospital, Mr. Friel has served on several statewide healthcare boards as well as being a local board member for the Chamber of Commerce and United Way. Additionally, he has been a Rotarian throughout the state of California since 1979.
After retiring, John and his wife Connie, plan to relocate in Aptos, California to be near their two adult sons and their families. He and Connie have been very active in the Big Bear Community, and their commitment to the success of BVCHD has been felt throughout the staff and leadership at the district. BVCHD is managed by Quorum Healthcare Resources (QHR) and they will be responsible for the candidate search replacing Mr. Friel.
