Submitted by Mountains Community Hospital
Kieth Burkart OD – who had served on the Mountains Community Hospital board since 1998 and served as board president since 2005 – retired from the board in October.
Burkart’s strong and steady leadership has been instrumental in keeping high-quality healthcare in our community, and we are so grateful for his almost three decades of dedicated service. A Lake Arrowhead resident and optometry practice owner since 1978, Burkart will now have time to focus more on his practice and his plans for the future.
Although we are sad to see Dr. Burkart go, it is with great enthusiasm that we introduce our new board president, Gerry Hinkley, a current board member appointed in February 2024. Hinkley, a resident of Lake Arrowhead since 2021, retired from a distinguished 47-year legal career specializing in healthcare mergers and acquisitions. His clients included numerous California hospitals and healthcare systems, giving him a broad perspective on the challenges and opportunities within the industry. His extensive governance experience includes founding Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bay Area and serving as a director until 2023. Before joining the MCH board, he served as a community member of MCH’s Finance, Quality, Human Resources and Facilities Committees for two years.
Hinkley’s leadership will propel us to new heights in our mission to provide essential, quality medical services to the residents and visitors of the local mountains. Hinkley will begin his role as president on Jan. 1, 2025.
We would also like to welcome Director Jeri Simpson, who was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Burkart’s retirement in October. She had served the board as a community member since earlier this year and brings over 40 years of healthcare human resources management experience, including leadership roles at UCLA Health, Torrance Memorial Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Simpson enjoys the challenges of healthcare and is excited to be of service to the hospital district. She has been a Lake Arrowhead resident since 2016 and an active community leader, holding leadership roles within the Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead and other local organizations.
Lastly, we are thrilled to announce that Jim Johnstone has been appointed as a community member of the board. A lifelong mountain resident and Rim of the World High School graduate, Johnstone brings over 40 years of fire service experience, including 33 years with the San Bernardino County Fire Department. He enjoyed collaborating with the hospital’s Emergency Department staff for many years.
Johnstone’s family has a long-standing history with MCH dating back to 1954. His father, Ross, drove the hospital’s first ambulance and his sister, Cheryl Moxley, served as the board’s secretary until her sudden passing earlier this year. Johnstone is eager to continue his family’s legacy by helping the hospital continue its success.
Community members on the board are not publicly elected. The board of directors appoints them; they help represent the community’s interests and assist the board with decisions and policies that impact the hospital’s healthcare services. The board always wants to connect with people interested in becoming community board members; contact Kristi McCasland, executive assistant, at (909) 436-3201 for more information.
To learn more about all of our board members, visit www.mchcares.com.
Gerry Hinkley
Jeri Simpson
Jim Johnstone
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