Brad Barber, JD
Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer

Brad joined Children's Hospital in 2006 as senior vice president and chief development officer of the hospital's foundation. Brad came to Children's after more than 25 years fundraising for the University of California, where he was the Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement for the University of California System.

From 1994, he worked in the UC Office of the President, playing a critical role in helping to advance the University’s private support programs and policies. Under his leadership, private support to the University increased from $417 million in 1994 to $1.2 billion in 2005. Brad is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley and the Boalt Hall School of Law.

Cynthia Chiarappa, MBA
Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Communications

Cynthia Chiarappa joined Children’s Hospital in 2010. She has over 25 years of communications and marketing experience, most recently at California Pacific Medical Center, where during her 14 year tenure she developed the strategy for the medical center's communications and marketing efforts. She was responsible for regional marketing, community relations, media relations, internal and crisis communications. She also led California Pacific’s strategic branding efforts and played an integral role in ensuring that internal and external communications were consistent with the organization’s ability to deliver on its promises.

Prior to joining California Pacific, Cynthia was Director of Marketing at LensCrafters in Cincinnati, Ohio and at Vision Service Plan in Sacramento, California. She has a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and lectures on health care communications and marketing, most recently for the Tuscan health region in Pisa, Italy.

Richard DeCarlo, RN, BSN, MBA
Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Richard DeCarlo joined Children’s in 2010 as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Richard is responsible for Children’s operations including inpatient and outpatient services, as well as support services, Human Resources, Hospital Information Services, and Facilities at the hospital and satellite locations

Richard has significant experience in hospital operations, physician development, ambulatory services and business development. He joins Children’s from Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach where he was Chief Operating Officer. At Miller, he oversaw 2,500 employees and was responsible for clinical operations as well as shared services across the two-hospital campus including Imaging, Pathology, Emergency Services and Facilities Management.

Richard also brings extensive experience in the areas of quality, financial management and patient and family-centered care initiatives. As the project executive for the Miller Children’s Hospital Pavilion and Expansion project, Richard managed a $200 million construction project that involved the construction of a new inpatient, four-story tower, 120,000 square foot addition.

Carolyn G. Dossa, CPMSM, MBPA
Vice President, Institutional Quality

Carolyn joined Children’s Hospital in 2007. She has many years of healthcare experience. In her 19 years at John Muir, Carolyn’s responsibilities included medical staff services, including the CME and Investigational Review committees, and hospital-wide accreditation and regulatory compliance. In prior positions at Mt. Diablo Medical Center she was also responsible for medical records, physician services, the Family Practice Residency Program and physician referral. 

During her 5 years with the California Medical Association Carolyn was responsible for the Consolidated Accreditation and Licensure Survey process, as well as the peer review and quality consultation programs.  

Carolyn has a BA in community services/health education from California State University, Chico, and an MBPA from John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, Calif. She is also a certified professional in medical services management.

Carolyn has been a speaker at many conferences about accreditation. She is a member of the National Association Medical Staff Services, the California Association of Medical Staff Services, and was previously a member of Women Health Care Executives.

Jacquelyn Garman, Esq.
Vice President, General Counsel

Jacquelyn was named vice president and general counsel at Children's Hospital in 2006. She was formerly a partner with Hanson Bridgett Marcus Vlahos & Rudy, LLP, where she specialized in litigation on behalf of healthcare clients. She received her JD at Stanford Law School, after receiving her BA and MA at Washington State University.

James H. Hanson, MD
Vice President, Medical Affairs

James H. Hanson, MD, rejoined Children’s in 2011 as the vice president of Medical Affairs. Dr. Hanson has been a member of Children’s medical staff for more than 20 years serving as a pediatrician, educator, and advocate for children’s health. Dr. Hanson came to Children’s as a pediatric intensivist, and then rose to become director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Between 2009 and 2011, Dr. Hanson was director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Transport at Kaiser Hospital Oakland.

Dr. Hanson has focused his career on improving outcomes in pediatric critical care. He has worked with the California Emergency Medical Services for Children to improve medical transport and stabilization care standards. He is the assistant medical director of REACH Air Ambulance and has authored protocols that improve emergency care given to children sustaining trauma.

His long list of accomplishments includes major contributions in academics, research publications, and consistently making the cut as a Best Doctors in America (2003-2011). Dr. Hanson is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member in the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and a member of PALISI (Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators). He has published and lectured widely on pediatric respiratory management, advanced life support, and emergency medical services. Dr. Hanson instructs courses in pediatric advanced life support and is a clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Hanson received his medical degree at Kansas University Medical Center, and fulfilled his pediatric intensive care fellowship at Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Washington, DC, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA and Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland, Oakland, CA.

Konard Jones
Vice President, Human Resources

Konard Jones joined Children's in 2011. He has a broad background in Human Resources spanning over 28 years in healthcare and health-related fields. He has served as Vice President of Human Resources at Northbay Healthcare System, and most recently served as President and CEO of Broadline Medical Inc. Konard has bachelors degrees in Business Management and Psychology from Grambling State University.

Rajnesh (Raj) Prasad, MBA
Vice President, Research Operations
Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute

Rajnesh (Raj) Prasad returned to Children’s Hospital in 2011 as vice president of research operations at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute. Raj serves as a key partner to senior leadership assisting with CHORI’s strategic initiatives, as well as overseeing critical research operations such as finance, laboratory, and core facilities.

Raj brings his experience managing over 36 million dollars in grant funding, 15 years of financial management experience, and 10 years of grants management experience. During his previous tenure of 10 years, he held a variety of roles within Children’s, serving the General Accounting Department, the Center for the Vulnerable Child (CVC), and Children's Research Institute.

Raj's most recent appointment was with California State University, East Bay, in the capacity of the Director for the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs.

Raj holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration specializing in accounting and financial management and a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry from California State University, East Bay.

Jim Grosskopf, CRA, FAHRA
Vice President, Hospital Operations

Jim joined Children’s Hospital in 2005, bringing with him many years of administrative management and technical experience. Before he was director of Diagnostic Imaging at Children’s, he was administrator for the Sutter Fairfield Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging Centers, then a new startup service of Sutter Regional Medical Foundation.

From 1985 to 2004, Jim was the administrative director of Medical Imaging, Cardiovascular and Radiation Oncology Services for John Muir Medical Center and California Pacific Medical Center. Jim also held the position of director of Radiology and Radiation Oncology Services for Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, a large HMO in Seattle serving 350,000 members. He was responsible for diagnostic imaging in two hospitals, three specialty centers and 19 outpatient clinics.

Jim has served as a board officer regionally and nationally for American Healthcare Radiology Administrators, Inc. and is a fellow of the organization (FAHRA). Jim has lectured and published nationally, and is a certified radiology administrator (CRA).

Donald Livsey, MBA
Vice President & Chief Information Officer

Don began his 25-year healthcare career as a medical technologist at Brigham and Women's hospital. After receiving his MBA from the University of California, Irvine, in 1987, Don moved to healthcare information technology. He has previously held positions with Transitions Systems Inc., Huntington Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph Health System and Children's Hospital of Orange County.

Don has been managing telecommunication support services and the information systems department at Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland since 2000. At Children's he helped put in place a computerized physician medication order entry system that helped Children's earn a 2002 Most Wired Hospital award and a 2003 inclusion in CIO magazine's list of the 100 most resourceful companies. Don also helped Children's select and implement a digital diagnostic imaging system that will be accessible institution-wide.

Alexander H. Lucas, PhD
Senior Vice President, Research & Executive Director, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute

Alexander H. Lucas, PhD joined Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) in 1988 and established the program in immunology. In 2001, he was appointed deputy director of research at CHORI, and in 2004, he established CHORI’s Center for Immunobiology and Vaccine Development.

Dr. Lucas has been funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) for thirty years and received an NIH Method to Extend Time in Research (MERIT) award.  He became Children's Hospital’s senior vice president, research and the executive director of Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) in August 2009.

Nancy Shibata, RN, MSN
Vice President, Nursing & Chief Nurse Executive

Nancy has been a member of the Children's Hospital staff since 1979. She has served in a variety of roles, including Pediatric Intensive Care Unit staff nurse, PICU assistant head nurse, PICU manager, nursing supervisor, director of Ambulatory Care, director of Critical Care Services, director of Nursing, and was named vice president of nursing in 2003. In her current role, Nancy directs operational, financial, quality and strategic activities for the Nursing Division including inpatient, surgical, and ambulatory areas.

Patricia (Patti) Taggart, MBA,
Vice President, Ambulatory Services & Chief Administrative Officer, Bay Children’s Physicians

Patti joined Children’s staff in January 2010.  She previously worked at Children’s from 1983 to 2003, as manager of Pediatric Rehabilitation and director of several subspecialty divisions. From 2003 to 2009,, Patti was director of Ambulatory Services at the University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center.

Patti is now responsible for managing Children’s specialty care network, as well as all outpatient services and Bay Children’s Physicians.