Quick Take
John Friel, a former Watsonville Community Hospital CEO and district board chairman, died Thursday after battling illness. He was 79. Hospital leaders say his passing is a "big loss."
John Friel, a former Watsonville Community Hospital CEO and district board chairman, died Thursday after battling an illness. He was 79.
Friel served as the Pajaro Valley Health Care District board chair until last month, when Tony Nuñez was voted into the role.
On March 19, Friel resigned from the board. The hospital’s board room was dedicated to him in a ceremony that day with his friends and family. Friel attended virtually from home.
Watsonville Community Hospital and health care district CEO Stephen Gray said Friel had an unwavering commitment to the community.
“This is a big loss for our organization and our hearts go out to John’s family,” he said in a statement. “It’s difficult to express the amount of gratitude we all feel toward John. When the county asked him to lead the district, following its inception in 2022, John didn’t hesitate. He could have just decided to enjoy his retirement, but that’s not John Friel.”
Friel, an Aptos resident, started his career in medicine as a licensed vocational nurse before becoming a registered nurse. Early on, he worked in hospitals and served two years with the nursing corps at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, where he treated patients coming in from Vietnam. Later on, Friel led hospitals and health care districts. In 1991, he became CEO at the Watsonville hospital, where he oversaw the construction of the current building after the 1989 earthquake.
Hospital officials say his more than 50 years of experience and leadership was integral to the launch of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District and the hospital’s return to public control after 20 years of for-profit ownership.
Board chair Nuñez said he’s glad the community had a chance to thank Friel for his dedication to the hospital during the March 19 ceremony. Nuñez is the marketing and communications manager for local nonprofit Community Bridges.
“I’m grateful we were able to honor John last Tuesday,” Nuñez said in a statement. “I am humbled by the opportunity to take on the role of board chair. I know I have big shoes to fill, but I’m excited by the opportunity to serve our community.”
With Friel’s death, the health care district is seeking a new board member. Interested candidates must be registered voters in Santa Cruz or Monterey counties and have a permanent home within the boundaries of the health care district.
The district encourages anyone interested in serving on the board to visit pvhcd.org after Wednesday to submit an application. The deadline to submit an application is 11:59 p.m. on April 14.
After a review of candidates, the district board will vote to appoint a new member on April 24. The new member will serve the remainder of the 2024 term, which ends once the 2024 election results are certified, according to a news release.
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