Leadership Team
David McFadyen, MBA, FACHE, President and CEO, Trinity Health, West Region
Trinity Health has named David McFadyen, MBA, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Trinity Health, West Region, on July 1, 2024, following a national search.
McFadyen joined Saint Agnes' West Region hospital, Saint Alphonsus Health System, in 2020 as President, Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise Idaho, a 415-bed acute care medical center, home to the region’s most advanced Level II Trauma Center, and highly specialized services including neurosciences, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, oncology, orthopedics, women’s services. He also serves on several joint venture boards for the health system including the Saint Alphonsus Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, and Life Flight.
Under his leadership, the medical center launched Idaho’s first advanced Neuro, Surgical, Trauma, Intensive Care Unit reaching the distinction as a Multidisciplinary Team of Distinction, by the North American Skull Base Society, one of only 48 designations in North America. Also during his tenure, the Trauma and Emergency programs experienced 25% growth and the Cardiovascular program expanded programs and recruited specialists to launch a Heart Failure Program, developed an expanded ECMO program, and an award-winning cardiothoracic program.
McFadyen holds a Bachelor of Science from Boise State University and a Master of Business Administration from Northwest Nazarene University. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. To read more about David's role, click here.
Gurvinder Kaur, MD, MHA, President and Market Leader
Dr. Kaur comes to Saint Agnes from Adventist Health, Central Valley Network, where she served as Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Central Valley Network for three years. Dr. Kaur also previously served as the Senior Regional Director of Vituity, where she oversaw hospitalists, post-acute care practices and Emergency Department practices, creating financial stability and overseeing quality improvement efforts. She also served on Vituity’s Board of Directors.
At Adventist, Dr. Kaur played a key role in revitalizing and expanding patient services – including DaVinci robotics, palliative care, surgical services, lung nodule program, outpatient cardiology diagnostics and cardiac cath lab, following the pandemic. Through her experience as a physician health care executive, Dr. Kaur has a deep understanding of health care operations and physician practice dynamics, as well as strong grasp of strategic knowledge surrounding the emerging trends in our field.
Originally from India, Dr. Kaur moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to continue her medical studies at the University of Southern California (USC). She went on to complete her internal medicine residency at Los Angeles General Medical Center (formerly LAC+USC Medical Center). Dr. Kaur also holds a master’s in Health Administration from USC.
John Evanko, MD, Chief Medical Officer
John Evanko, MD, MBA, FACOG, joined Saint Agnes in September 2023. Dr. Evanko is an accomplished physician executive with extensive leadership experience in both academic and community health care settings. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at The Medical Centre Insurance Company Vermont. In this role, he developed strategies and programs to improve patient safety and satisfaction by working directly with physicians to mitigate risks and provide more patient-centered care. He is passionate about developing systems and protocols that ensure every patient is treated with the safest, highest quality of care, while also receiving an exceptional experience. A New York native, Dr. Evanko earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University, his Medical Degree from New York Medical College and, later in his career, an MBA from Columbia Business School. Formally trained in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. Evanko is a Board Certified Fellow of the American College of OB-GYNs.
Cheryl Harless, DNP, MBA, RN, Chief Nursing Officer
Cheryl joined Saint Agnes in March 2024. Cheryl is a highly motivated and enthusiastic health care executive with more than 19 years of leadership experience in clinical settings, including 11 years as a Chief Nursing Officer. As a health care executive, Cheryl has maintained a sharp focus on developing unparalleled patient experience and creating strong colleague engagement. Cheryl has a long history of service with Tenet Healthcare. She began her career as a clinical nurse at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto in the Intensive Care and Step-Down Units in 1997. She went on to be named Clinical Manager of the Progressive Cardiovascular Step-Down Unit and later Director of Patient Care Services. She joined Sutter Health in 2011 and served as Chief Nurse Executive for two hospitals before returning to Tenet Healthcare in 2016 where she served as a Chief Nursing Officer for eight years. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Pittsburg and her MBA from Texas A&M University.
Gail Breton, Chief Human Resources Officer
Gail Breton has a long history with Saint Agnes, starting her career in Human Resources in 1998 and has diligently served our healing ministry ever since. Gail is an experienced and accomplished health care leader and provides strategic direction and vision in the integration of Human Resources strategies, while ensuring alignment of culture and talent to fulfill our mission and values. She is a Valley native, graduating from Fresno State with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and holds an MBA from Columbia Southern University.
Sara K. Frauenheim, Chief Development Officer
Sara K. Frauenheim joined Saint Agnes in 2017, serving as Manager of Events and Corporate Sponsorships and was promoted to Director of Major Gifts in September 2020. Sara took on the role of Chief Development Officer in October 2023. Sara is seasoned in fundraising strategies and donor relations. As a Valley native, she has worked closely with agriculture, higher education, travel, tourism and health care organizations to further mission growth initiatives. Sara also serves as the primary contact for the Foundation Board, working with community members to strengthen relationships and increase philanthropic support for Saint Agnes. Sara has a Mass Communications and Journalism Bachelor’s degree from Fresno State.
William Evo, Vice President, Operations
William is a seasoned health care executive and multidisciplinary leader with an array of health care experience. Prior to joining Saint Agnes in November 2023, William served as Chief Healthcare Facilities Officer for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Before this appointment, he worked at Trinity Health in Livonia for seven years in a variety of director roles. William received his Juris Doctor in Healthcare Law from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and his bachelor’s degree in business administration and pre-law from Michigan State University.
Jenny Hernandez, Vice President, Financial Officer
Jenny Hernandez joined Saint Agnes as Vice President of Business Development in February 2022 and was recently promoted to Vice President of Finance in June 2023. Jenny is an experienced healthcare leader in finance and strategy, serving at Valley Children’s Health and as the CFO of Fresno Surgical Hospital. She is a proud graduate of Fresno State, where she completed her undergraduate degree in Business, and she holds an MBA from Western Governors University.
Sonya Pizzo, Vice President, Saint Agnes Medical Foundation (SAMF)
Sonya Pizzo is a long-time, dedicated colleague, committed to our healing mission for over 10 years. Starting as a practice manager in 2013 at our Saint Agnes Care LQMG clinic, Sonya soon advanced to serve within the SAMF administration space, first as a manager and most recently as director of operations. Sonya has been an integral part of the growth of our SAMF clinics throughout her tenure. From overseeing medical group operations, to physician and practice development, her leadership has been invaluable to the successes of our outpatient clinics. Sonya holds her bachelor’s in business administration management and a minor in finance from California State University, Fresno.
Ivonne Der Torosian, Vice President, Community Health & Well-Being
Ivonne Der Torosian joined Saint Agnes in 2017. Ivonne is an experienced community benefit advocate and is passionate about giving back to her community. In her role, Ivonne is responsible for developing strategies to reduce health disparities, prevent disease and improve the overall health of our community by addressing social, behavioral, environmental, economic and medical barriers. She helps to nurture effective hospital-community partnerships that promote a culture of health in the Central Valley. Ivonne holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s in Public Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is also the Board President for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Fresno and Madera Counties and a board member for United Way of Fresno and Madera Counties.
Eric McMurtrey, Vice President, Central Valley Health Plan (CVHP)
Eric McMurtrey, MBA, joined Saint Agnes in March 2021. Eric is a senior healthcare executive with more than 15 years of experience in acute and ambulatory care, along with recent experience in IPA, MSO and health plans. He most recently served as Vice President of Network and Practice Management for dignity Health in Bakersfield. Eric earned his bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and received his Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Strategy from Idaho State University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Health Executives. Eric loves living in and serving those from the Central Valley.
Jim Smith, Mission Leader
Jim Smith joined Saint Agnes as Mission Leader in June 2023. Jim has been immersed in mission-grounded, not-for-profit organizational work for over 30 years. He has served as leader of faith communities, as executive director of an organization providing home and shelter to families experiencing homelessness, as an educator and advocate. Most recently, he was system-wide mission integration director for a senior health care and housing organization serving over 30 senior communities in a 5-state region. He received his graduate degrees in Pastoral Theology from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and in Applied Spirituality from the University of San Francisco.
Rick Wolf, General Counsel
Rick joined Saint Agnes in 2015 and serves as legal counsel for the Medical Center and Saint Agnes Medical Foundation. He has over 20 years of health care legal experience with Central Valley hospitals. Prior to joining Saint Agnes, Rick served as Vice President and General Counsel at Valley Children’s Hospital where he provided legal counsel and directed the corporate restructure of Valley Children’s and Valley Children’s Medical Group. He received his bachelor’s degree in Business Legal Environment from Fresno State and his Juris Doctor from San Joaquin College of Law. He is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and previously served on the Health Law Committee of the State Bar of California.
Akkara Srauy, Director, Business Development & Strategy
Akkara joined Saint Agnes in August 2023, bringing health care experience from both large academic health systems and community hospitals. Akkara started her career at Rush University System for Health in Chicago as an Administrative Fellow working directly under the CEO and COO of the health system. She went on to become the Manager of Planning and Performance for the Office of Advanced Practice Providers. In her role, she worked with medical group leaders, hospital leadership and department chairs to develop the onsite and offsite strategy related to provider, practice and service line growth. At her most recent appointment, she served as Senior Financial Analyst at Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. Originally from Fresno, Akkara received her bachelor’s in film studies from the University of California Santa Barbara and went on to complete an MFA in Film and Television Production from the University of Southern California before moving into the health care field. She received an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Temple University Fox School of Business.
Casey Fares, Director, Marketing & Communications
Casey Fares has been committed to serving Saint Agnes for nearly 15 years. A Fresno native, Casey started her career at Saint Agnes as a Fresno State Intern. An accomplished marketing and communications leader in health care, Casey brings a wealth of experience encompassing digital media strategies, brand campaign management, website development and social marketing. As Director of Marketing & Communications, Casey oversees all marketing and communication strategies for the Medical Center and Saint Agnes Medical Foundation, working to strengthen brand, impact service line growth and support strategic organizational goals. Casey is a Fresno State graduate, receiving her bachelor’s in Communications with a minor in Public Relations.