Hope Hospice names permanent CEO

Pleasanton resident Bob Boehm has been named the permanent CEO of Hope Hospice, with the nonprofit’s Board of Directors voting to remove his interim tag, Hope Hospice officials said Monday.

The announcement occurred almost three weeks after the nonprofit celebrated its 35th anniversary recently with staff, volunteers, board members and former agency leaders.

“I’m honored to be working with so many caring individuals who are dedicated to helping our patients and their families live each day to the fullest,” Boehm said in a statement. “Our focus is to bring hope for a better today for our patients and families.”

Boehm, who joined the Hope Hospice board in October 2014, became the nonprofit’s interim CEO in May after its former CEO, Victoria Emmons, moved away to Montana.

“During the past six months, Bob has provided the leadership to help strengthen Hope Hospice and is making strides to position the organization in a positive direction for the future,” board president Craig Eicher said. “Members of the board and I are confident that Bob and his outstanding team will continue to help patients and families enjoy what matters most to them.”

Boehm has spent his career primarily in consulting, with extensive experience in business planning, operations and finance, Hope Hospice officials said.

“He is well-qualified and has shown leadership abilities that will enable Hope Hospice to continue to support the community with the highest level of compassion, dignity and excellence for years to come,” said Dr. Peter Wong, who served as Hope Hospice’s chief medical officer for more than 30 years.

Boehm recently retired from Deloitte Consulting, where he worked as a director for 12 years. In the health care sector, Boehm worked with clients such as Kaiser Permanente, Allergan, Gilead Sciences and Nectar Life Sciences, Hope Hospice officials said.

The Pleasanton man holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois and a Master of Business Administration in accounting from the University of Chicago.

Earlier this fall, Boehm and Wong joined former executive director Helen Meier, founder Richard Martin and others for the Hope Hospice 35th anniversary celebration.

The agency started as a grassroots effort of Martin, a Pleasanton resident, and a small group of concerned community members with the goal of helping families care for their terminally ill loved ones in the warmth and familiarity of their own homes by providing emotional and medical support, officials said.

“As we were at our founding, we continue to be community-led by a volunteer board of directors made up of local residents,” Boehm said. “I’m proud to say that we have remained an independent, nonprofit organization, serving everyone regardless of their ability to pay.”