MountainView Hospital announces that Hiral Patel will lead the hospital as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Patel will begin her new position at MountainView Sept. 6.

Patel is currently CEO at Lakeview Regional Medical Center, a campus of Tulane Medical Center in Covington, Louisiana, affiliated with HCA Healthcare. She previously was chief operating officer. She has been with the Tulane Health System for 14 years.

Patel began her career as an intern at Tulane and has risen through the ranks in the system. During her tenure as CEO, Lakeview Regional has achieved top rankings in HCA Healthcare for employee engagement, physician engagement, turnover and clinical excellence. Her most notable career accomplishments include over $100 million in expansion and capital projects, establishing the first Comprehensive Stroke Center in Orleans Parish and founding the first Level II Trauma Center in St. Tammany Parish.

She was honored with the “Large Employer Leadership Award” by the Times-Picayune in 2022 and 2020. Hiral was named to the “Top 40 Under 40” list by EDGE Magazine in 2020, recognized as a “Healthcare Hero” by New Orleans City Business in 2019 and named “One to Watch in Healthcare” by New Orleans City Business in 2017.

Patel has an undergraduate degree in health administration from Armstrong State University. She earned her Master of Health Administration from Tulane University and also was awarded a certification in LEAN healthcare management from the University of Michigan.