Lara Khouri is officially back on home turf, taking over as chief executive officer of Miller Children's & Women's Hospital in Long Beach and stepping into one of the region's most closely watched pediatric leadership roles. A Long Beach native and former Children's Hospital Los Angeles executive, Khouri has called the move "a full circle" moment for her family. Hospital leaders say she will guide the expansion of specialty services and push to make advanced care easier to reach for families across South Los Angeles and North Orange County.
In a press release via PR Newswire, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital described Khouri as the executive who will oversee day-to-day operations and long-term strategic growth for pediatric specialty and maternity care. The announcement underscores her focus on family-centered care and her plan to scale services while keeping a physician-led, community-based model at the core.
From CHLA To Long Beach
Khouri most recently served as president and chief operating officer at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, where she helped shape strategy, growth, and clinical transformation for more than a decade. Her CHLA biography also cites earlier leadership posts at Boston Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, along with an MBA and MPH earned at Columbia University.
Already In The Corner Office
Internally, the move was not exactly a surprise. Becker's Hospital Review reported that Khouri's appointment became effective Feb. 16, giving her several weeks on the job before the broader public announcement. That head start lines up with what is expected to be a busy spring of new programs and systemwide coordination work.
Where Miller Children's Stands Now
Miller Children's & Women's is part of the MemorialCare system and, by the hospital's own count, is one of only eight free-standing children's hospitals in California. It treats roughly 13,000 children a year inside the hospital while serving as a regional outpatient hub for many more. The system also runs the Cherese Mari Laulhere Children's Village outpatient campus and pediatric satellite centers in Torrance, Fountain Valley, and Irvine, and promotes advanced tools such as the 7D Surgical System for pediatric spine surgery, according to Miller Children's & Women's Hospital.
Khouri's Early Priorities
Khouri has signaled that she will lean hard into operational performance and, in her words, "leveraging AI platforms, advanced analytics, research, and digital capabilities" to expand services and access. She also plans to reinvest in community-critical programs such as regional transport services so that high-acuity patients can reach the specialty care they need. MemorialCare President David Kim praised her "strategic discipline, clinical understanding, and mission-driven leadership" as the right blend for the hospital's next phase of growth, according to the hospital's announcement.
What To Watch Next
Locally, the hire lands at a pivotal time. Miller Children's has been building its Miller Children's Care Network to connect specialists and community pediatricians and to expand access across South Los Angeles and North Orange County, according to Miller Children's & Women's Hospital. If Khouri moves quickly on the priorities she has laid out, families around the region could see faster referrals, more telehealth options, and tighter, data-driven care coordination in the coming months.
For now, hospital leaders say families should expect a steady hand on the wheel while executives and clinicians align on the priorities being rolled out this spring. With deep local roots and big-system experience, Khouri is positioned to be a central figure as Miller Children's maps out its next chapter.
