San Luis Obispo's French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) announced recently the new appointments of three community leaders to its Community Board of Directors and Foundation Board of Directors.

Sandee McLaughlin and Father Russell Brown have joined the FHMC Community Board. McLaughlin is the executive dean for the Cuesta College North County Campus and South County Centers. A San Luis Obispo resident for more than 20 years, McLaughlin says her heart has always been in developing satellite and outreach sites for Cuesta College. 

Father Russell Brown has served as the pastor of the landmark Old Mission Church in San Luis Obispo since 2006. A leader of the Catholic Community, Father Russ is another outstanding addition to French Hospital Medical Center's Community Board. In addition to his work at the Old Mission, he has also served on the Board of Directors at St. Francis Central Coast Catholic High School, and provides Sacramental Services for the patients at French Hospital. 

The role of the Community Board is to assure that the health services provided at the hospital are medically necessary, of high quality, safe, effective, efficient, and consistent with community standards.

The board does this by overseeing the quality assessment, performance improvement, and patient-safety and utilization management activities of the hospital and by assuring that these activities are consistent with standards and policies and procedures established by the Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) Board of Directors and the CHW Quality Committee. 

Erin Steed, a local business woman who has lived in San Luis Obispo for more than a decade has joined the FHMC Foundation Board. Steed is the Corporate Controller at Meathead Movers, the local moving company, owned and founded by her husband Aaron. Steed has gained a unique understanding of our community’s needs from her involvement in many non-profit community service events. 

The Foundation Board at French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) is dedicated to supporting the charitable and community health care mission of French Hospital through fundraising and relationship building. It consists of a 24 member volunteer Board of Directors. These directors represent our community and business leaders, medical staff, and hospital leadership.

The Foundation solicits philanthropic gifts, provides stewardship of these gifts, and grants funds to the hospital to advance the community's access to health care. 

For a full list of the FHMC Community Board members, click here. For a full list of the Foundation Board at FHMC, click here.