Emanuel Medical Center welcomes its third chief executive officer in four years, as the Turlock hospital announced the hiring of Murali Naidu, MD, FACS to the top administrative position.

Naidu assumed responsibility for all hospital operations, executive planning and directing medical services as of Nov. 15. He takes over for Warren Kirk, CEO of Doctors Medical Center and Tenet’s Northern California Group, who served as interim CEO for the past two months, following the resignation of Lani Dickinson.

“As a physician CEO, Dr. Naidu is dedicated to prioritizing the patient experience and making sure we provide excellent care for each person who walks through our doors,” said Kirk. “I am confident that Emanuel will continue to grow under his leadership to serve the needs of our patients in Turlock and surrounding communities.”

Naidu joins Emanuel Medical Center from Doctors Hospital of Manteca, where he has served as CEO since early 2020. Until a permanent CEO replacement is announced for DHM, Dr. Naidu will serve as CEO of both hospitals in the interim.

Prior to joining Tenet, Dr. Naidu served as the chief physician executive at Managed Care Systems out of Bakersfield. He played a pivotal role in supporting the on-boarding of 140,000 members and 750 physicians.

Dr. Naidu earned his B.A. in Molecular & Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. He is a laparoscopic surgeon who practiced for more than 10 years prior to his full-time leadership roles.

Dr. Naidu currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Head-Royce School, an independent K12 school in Oakland that is committed to providing high-quality education to children and their families.