HONOLULU – The Queen’s Health System (QHS) today announced that Susan R. Murray, MBA, FACHE, Senior Vice President for the West O‘ahu Region and Chief Operating Officer of The Queen’s Medical Center – West O‘ahu, will retire in March 2022.
“It has been a privilege to have had Susan overseeing the operations of our health care services in the West O‘ahu region,” said Jill Hoggard Green, PhD, RN, President and CEO of The Queen’s Health System. “Susan’s sound leadership has enabled Queen’s to experience tremendous growth and expansion, and she has positioned QMC– West O‘ahu for future success.”
Murray joined QHS in 2013 and has consistently grown QMC– West O‘ahu, which is now the second busiest emergency department in the state – second only to QMC’s Punchbowl campus. Since 2019, QMC– West O‘ahu has been certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®, recognizing excellence in nursing. And under Murray’s leadership, QMC– West O‘ahu became the third medical center in the nation to be a Certified Blue Zones employer, and the only hospital in Hawaii with a K9 security detail to keep its staff and patients safe.
Among the many achievements of Murray’s tenure with QHS are:
- Leading the $150 million renovation of The Queen’s Medical Center – West O‘ahu, opening the renovated hospital in May 2014.
- Adding a myriad of new services including pediatric after-hours care, which grew to include adult after-hours care.
- Leading the acquisition of the Sullivan Care Center, which added the services of wound care, chemotherapy, infusion services, a pulmonary clinic and a sleep lab.
- Opening two large clinics in September 2020, which added ENT, audiology and outpatient physical therapy services in addition to increasing existing specialty services.
- Earning an “A” grade for Hospital Safety from The Leapfrog Group, an independent rating agency that evaluates health care providers on safety, quality and customer value.
- Achieving the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines® – Stroke – Gold Plus with Honor Roll Elite Plus (2017-2021) and Silver Plus with Honor Roll Elite Plus (2016)
- Achieving the American Heart Association’s Target Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
Murray earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Hawai‘i and an MBA in health services from the University of Dallas. Her successful health care career has included leading Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center, and she has held positions at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, the Women’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Women’s Hospital of Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
An active member of the community, Murray serves on the boards of Island Pacific Academy, Hawaiian Island Ministries and the Kapolei Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on the Personnel and Long-Range Planning Committees at First Presbyterian Church. She is a Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and was an honoree at the 2017 YWCA Leader Luncheon. In 2018, Murray was honored for her community outreach and partnership by Island Pacific Academy.
“The entire Queen’s ‘ohana wishes Susan the very best as she enters retirement,” said Jason Chang, Executive Vice President and COO of The Queen’s Health System and President of The Queen’s Medical Center. “We are tremendously grateful for the legacy she leaves as it will be felt for years to come.”
Darlena Chadwick, MBA, MSN, FACHE, who is currently serving as Vice President of Patient Care for The Queen’s Health System, has been appointed as the next president of The Queen’s Medical Center – West O‘ahu. To ensure a seamless transition for staff and patients at QMC – West O‘ahu, Chadwick will work alongside Murray beginning in late January 2022.
