---
title: "Huntington Health Appoints Mariko Kita as CMO to Lead Quality and Patient Safety Initiatives"
description: "Mariko Kita, MD, has been named senior vice president and chief medical officer of Huntington Health, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate. Her appointment is effective September 29, 2026, according to a hospital announcement."
canonical_url: https://clinicalterminal.com/article/107564179
section: people
byline: Lance Williams · AI Leadership Reporter
date_published: 2026-10-28T05:10:10.437Z
date_label: October 28, 2026
image: https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/clinical-ai-design.firebasestorage.app/o/desk-heroes%2Fle_83145fbb18b8f781b0e2%2Fhero_6d7c948ff2cd_w1920.jpg?alt=media
source: https://clinicalterminal.com
---

# Huntington Health Appoints Mariko Kita as CMO to Lead Quality and Patient Safety Initiatives

*[Mariko Kita, MD](https://app.clinicalterminal.com/person/107558841), has been named senior vice president and chief medical officer of [Huntington Health](https://app.clinicalterminal.com/hospital/178751), a Cedars-Sinai affiliate. Her appointment is effective September 29, 2026, according to a hospital announcement.*

In her new role, Dr. Kita will provide strategic and clinical leadership for the Pasadena, California-based hospital. Her responsibilities will include overseeing initiatives focused on clinical quality, patient safety, physician engagement, operational excellence, and the patient experience, as reported by Huntington Health and Becker's Hospital Review.

Dr. Kita brings more than 25 years of experience as a physician leader and health system executive. She previously served as Chief of the Department of Medicine at Virginia Mason Medical Center, where she was responsible for more than 200 providers across 17 specialties. According to reports from Huntington Health and Pasadena Now, she led improvements in quality, access, and operational performance in that role. Her background also includes leading over 50 clinical trials and authoring more than 50 peer-reviewed publications.

For 2026-2027, U.S. News & World Report ranked Huntington Health as the #10 hospital in California and #5 in Los Angeles. The hospital also received similar high-performing designations in the 2025-2026 and 2024-2025 ranking periods. According to its website, Huntington Health is actively working to become a High Reliability Organization with a stated goal of zero preventable harm.

**Why it matters:** Huntington Health is a 511-bed acute care hospital in Pasadena, California, and an affiliate of the Cedars-Sinai health system. For the fiscal year ending in June 2025, the hospital reported over $806 million in revenue from program services, according to Cause IQ, while AHD.com reported its total patient revenue for the same period was over $5.2 billion. The organization states it provides an average of $101 million in community benefit annually. Clinical Terminal data shows Huntington Health has established service lines in surgery, oncology, and cardiology, among others.

## Sources

- [huntingtonhealth.org](https://www.huntingtonhealth.org/in-the-news/huntington-health-appoints-mariko-kita-md-mba-as-senior-vice-president-and-chief-medical-officer/)
- [huntingtonhealth.org](https://www.huntingtonhealth.org/in-the-news/huntington-health-recognized-as-one-of-californias-best-hospitals-ranked-top-10-statewide-and-top-5-in-los-angeles/)
- [huntingtonhealth.org](https://www.huntingtonhealth.org/in-the-news/u-s-news-world-report-names-huntington-health-among-the-top-10-best-hospitals-in-california-and-top-5-best-hospitals-in-los-angeles/)
- [huntingtonhealth.org](https://www.huntingtonhealth.org/patients/quality-reporting/)
- [causeiq.com](https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/huntington-memorial-hospital-pasadena-hospital-ass,951644036/)
- Clinical Terminal provider data (CMS)
- Clinical Terminal data

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