YoloCares names former healthcare CEO as new board chair

YoloCares names former healthcare CEO as new board chair

Jackie Clark, RN, MBA, and former CEO has been selected to represent Sacramento Valley’s first established end-of-life care agency as the board chair.

Clark served as a board member from 2014 to 2018 before returning to her post in 2022. As a registered nurse with over 30 years of extensive experience in clinical administration, Clark is an asset to the agency’s leadership.

“We are pleased to see Clark assume the position of board chair, her unique background in healthcare administration coupled with her personal experience in direct patient care offer the agency a level of expertise that is difficult to come by,” says Craig Dresang, YoloCares CEO.

Before her retirement, Clark was the CEO of the California Correctional Healthcare Facility Stockton and California Medical Facilities (CCHS) that serves approximately 5,000 incarcerated patients annually and offers the only hospice program for incarcerated individuals in the country. She also was the Deputy Director of Clinical Operations for (CCHS) overseeing all aspects of healthcare within corrections.

During her tenure, Clark expanded hospice care and developed a program for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Recognizing the emotional impacts that an inmate’s death can have in the prison community, Clark expanded an existing peer support training program to include training volunteers to aid hospice patients.

When asked what she hopes to bring to her new position as board chair, Clark says: “I see myself really leaning on my background in quality improvement to help the agency move to a whole new level. I want to draw on my experiences in healthcare policy, change management and government relations to help YoloCares cement its position as a national leader in end-of-life care.”

Clark and Dresang have been colleagues since Dresang assumed the role of CEO in 2014, and she has enjoyed watching the agency flourish under his leadership. “I was initially excited by Dresang’s background in fundraising when he joined YoloCares so it’s exciting to see the results of the last decade and to work closely with him to grow the agency’s vision.”

In addition to her role as board chair, Clark will also serve as a board representative for the California Hospice Network, an affiliation of nonprofit, community-driven hospices of which YoloCares is a member. Clark will be a valued contributor to the Network’s senior leadership and hopes to help drive the conversation on high-quality care delivery.