New Chief of Staff Takes Over at Scripps La Jolla

Dr. John Spinosa Heads Up 900-Member Physician Staff

The physicians at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla have elected John Spinosa, M.D., Ph.D., as the new chief of staff of the 372-bed facility. Dr. Spinosa took over as head of the 900-member physician team on Jan. 1, 2008.


During his two-year term, Dr. Spinosa will serve as medical staff liaison to Scripps La Jolla’s administrative staff and its board of directors. Dr. Spinosa will play a key role in driving continuous quality improvement in the delivery of health care services to the more than 130,000 patients cared for annually at Scripps La Jolla.


“Dr. Spinosa’s expertise, experience, dedication to excellence and commitment to Scripps Memorial Hospital not only make him the ideal individual for this role, but also a central figure in the hospital’s future growth and pursuit of world-class status,” says Gary G. Fybel, Chief Executive of Scripps La Jolla.


As chief of staff, Dr. Spinosa plans to continue working on the numerous patient care enhancement initiatives that were started by outgoing Chief of Staff Dana Launer, M.D., during his tenure. He will also provide medical staff input into the major expansion and renovation projects underway on the hospital’s campus.


As a practicing pathologist, Dr. Spinosa has been a member of the medical staffs at Scripps La Jolla and Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas since 1993 and has held numerous medical staff leadership positions. He has held positions as Chairman of the Health Information Committee and Department Chair of Pathology, and has been a member of the Executive Medical Committee and the Physician Leadership Cabinet.


Dr. Spinosa received his M.D. and Ph.D. from University of California San Diego, following a bachelor’s degree from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif. He is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and also by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic and clinical pathology.


In his spare time, Dr. Spinosa enjoys cooking, basketball, and photography. He is currently learning how to fly fish. Dr. Spinosa lives in University City with his wife, Marge, a retired scientist, and his son Charlie, a sophomore at University City High School. His other son, Daniel, is a sophomore at Stanford University.

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