Medical center appoints new chief operating officer

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Lakewood Ranch Medical Center has appointed Diego Perilla to chief operating officer.

Most recently, Perilla served as the associate administrator at Wellington Regional Medical Center, according to a press release. There he had administrative responsibility for biomedical engineering; cardio/pulmonary; contracts/negotiations; environmental services; food and nutrition; diagnostic imaging; interventional radiology; cath lab; laboratory; outpatient wound care; and plant operations and construction as well as physician and community relations.

During his time at Wellington, Perilla also managed the planning and opening of the new 11,000-square-foot freestanding emergency department and the renovation of a 10-bed inpatient hospital specialty unit.

Prior to Wellington, Perilla served as the institute administrator of the Digestive Disease and GI Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston.

Earlier in his career, he was the director of strategic practice initiatives at the University of Miami Health System’s Department of Pediatrics in Miami. He also served in multiple roles at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, including administrator of regional operations, process improvement specialist and project manager.

“We welcome Diego’s leadership and patient-centric style," says Lakewood Ranch Medical Center CEO Andy Guz in a statement. "He is joining the hospital during an exciting time with the construction of our Freestanding Emergency Department and our Women’s Center Renovation. Diego will be a great addition to the team."