Rodney Lamb was a key player in Santa Barbara, almost single-handedly transforming the community hospital there into a world-class medical center, and serving as its chief administrator for over 30 years.
Rodney, son of Fred and Bertha, served three years in the U. S, Military (1945-48), and was a graduate of Stanford University (BS), spent two years at George Washington University in medical school, and then transferred to UC Berkeley where he completed a Mssters in Public Health for Hospital Administration in 1954. He served an internship in hospital administration the final year of his degree program at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. He took a position as an junior administrator of a Bay Area hospital upon graduation.
In 1956, he married Dorothy Nanette Sharkey of Martinez, Ca. That same year, he was called back to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara where he took on a role as assistant administrator to John Paplow. Paplow, however, resigned two months later and the 31-year-old Lamb went from assistant to acting to chief administrator in a matter of three months.
The hospital had been largely dormant in terms of significant improvements since the onset of the Great Depression. The physical plant dated from 1891 through 1930. Lamb immediately called on the Cottage board to reorganize and launch a capital rebuilding campaign. In the next twelve years, Lamb helped Cottage grow from 197 beds to 465 beds.
In the ensuing years, Lamb oversaw the introduction of patient-oriented services, a huge investment in medical technology, and a focused effort to draw top-notch physicians to the community. He was at the helm as Medicare arrived, HMOs, and radical changes in medical care delivery. During his tenure average patient days at the hospital went from just under 10 to less than 5. As a result, Lamb also provided leadership as the County Hospital closed, and when Cottage acquired Pinecrest Hospital.
Lamb served as chair of the California Hospital Association and of the Association of Western Hospitals, president of the Hospital Council of Southern California. and as chair of the California Health Care Forum. He received the CHA Walker-Sullivan Fellowship Award for "outstanding contribution and leadership to hospitals and the health care community" in 1978.
Lamb moved from chief administrator of Cottage Hospital to the CEO of the Cottage Foundation in 1984. In 1989, Lamb retired from Cottage.
Lamb and Dorothy had two sons, Randy (1961) and John (1964). The couple divorced in 1984. Rodney remarried in 1986 to Nancy Gilpatrick. In 1991, Rod and Nancy moved to the Phoenix area.
Rodney, son of Fred and Bertha, served three years in the U. S, Military (1945-48), and was a graduate of Stanford University (BS), spent two years at George Washington University in medical school, and then transferred to UC Berkeley where he completed a Mssters in Public Health for Hospital Administration in 1954. He served an internship in hospital administration the final year of his degree program at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. He took a position as an junior administrator of a Bay Area hospital upon graduation.
In 1956, he married Dorothy Nanette Sharkey of Martinez, Ca. That same year, he was called back to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara where he took on a role as assistant administrator to John Paplow. Paplow, however, resigned two months later and the 31-year-old Lamb went from assistant to acting to chief administrator in a matter of three months.
The hospital had been largely dormant in terms of significant improvements since the onset of the Great Depression. The physical plant dated from 1891 through 1930. Lamb immediately called on the Cottage board to reorganize and launch a capital rebuilding campaign. In the next twelve years, Lamb helped Cottage grow from 197 beds to 465 beds.
In the ensuing years, Lamb oversaw the introduction of patient-oriented services, a huge investment in medical technology, and a focused effort to draw top-notch physicians to the community. He was at the helm as Medicare arrived, HMOs, and radical changes in medical care delivery. During his tenure average patient days at the hospital went from just under 10 to less than 5. As a result, Lamb also provided leadership as the County Hospital closed, and when Cottage acquired Pinecrest Hospital.
Lamb served as chair of the California Hospital Association and of the Association of Western Hospitals, president of the Hospital Council of Southern California. and as chair of the California Health Care Forum. He received the CHA Walker-Sullivan Fellowship Award for "outstanding contribution and leadership to hospitals and the health care community" in 1978.
Lamb moved from chief administrator of Cottage Hospital to the CEO of the Cottage Foundation in 1984. In 1989, Lamb retired from Cottage.
Lamb and Dorothy had two sons, Randy (1961) and John (1964). The couple divorced in 1984. Rodney remarried in 1986 to Nancy Gilpatrick. In 1991, Rod and Nancy moved to the Phoenix area.
Rodney Lamb was a key player in Santa Barbara, almost single-handedly transforming the community hospital there into a world-class medical center, and serving as its chief administrator for over 30 years.
Rodney, son of Fred and Bertha, served three years in the U. S, Military (1945-48), and was a graduate of Stanford University (BS), spent two years at George Washington University in medical school, and then transferred to UC Berkeley where he completed a Mssters in Public Health for Hospital Administration in 1954. He served an internship in hospital administration the final year of his degree program at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. He took a position as an junior administrator of a Bay Area hospital upon graduation.
In 1956, he married Dorothy Nanette Sharkey of Martinez, Ca. That same year, he was called back to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara where he took on a role as assistant administrator to John Paplow. Paplow, however, resigned two months later and the 31-year-old Lamb went from assistant to acting to chief administrator in a matter of three months.
The hospital had been largely dormant in terms of significant improvements since the onset of the Great Depression. The physical plant dated from 1891 through 1930. Lamb immediately called on the Cottage board to reorganize and launch a capital rebuilding campaign. In the next twelve years, Lamb helped Cottage grow from 197 beds to 465 beds.
In the ensuing years, Lamb oversaw the introduction of patient-oriented services, a huge investment in medical technology, and a focused effort to draw top-notch physicians to the community. He was at the helm as Medicare arrived, HMOs, and radical changes in medical care delivery. During his tenure average patient days at the hospital went from just under 10 to less than 5. As a result, Lamb also provided leadership as the County Hospital closed, and when Cottage acquired Pinecrest Hospital.
Lamb served as chair of the California Hospital Association and of the Association of Western Hospitals, president of the Hospital Council of Southern California. and as chair of the California Health Care Forum. He received the CHA Walker-Sullivan Fellowship Award for "outstanding contribution and leadership to hospitals and the health care community" in 1978.
Lamb moved from chief administrator of Cottage Hospital to the CEO of the Cottage Foundation in 1984. In 1989, Lamb retired from Cottage.
Lamb and Dorothy had two sons, Randy (1961) and John (1964). The couple divorced in 1984. Rodney remarried in 1986 to Nancy Gilpatrick. In 1991, Rod and Nancy moved to the Phoenix area.
Rodney, son of Fred and Bertha, served three years in the U. S, Military (1945-48), and was a graduate of Stanford University (BS), spent two years at George Washington University in medical school, and then transferred to UC Berkeley where he completed a Mssters in Public Health for Hospital Administration in 1954. He served an internship in hospital administration the final year of his degree program at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. He took a position as an junior administrator of a Bay Area hospital upon graduation.
In 1956, he married Dorothy Nanette Sharkey of Martinez, Ca. That same year, he was called back to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara where he took on a role as assistant administrator to John Paplow. Paplow, however, resigned two months later and the 31-year-old Lamb went from assistant to acting to chief administrator in a matter of three months.
The hospital had been largely dormant in terms of significant improvements since the onset of the Great Depression. The physical plant dated from 1891 through 1930. Lamb immediately called on the Cottage board to reorganize and launch a capital rebuilding campaign. In the next twelve years, Lamb helped Cottage grow from 197 beds to 465 beds.
In the ensuing years, Lamb oversaw the introduction of patient-oriented services, a huge investment in medical technology, and a focused effort to draw top-notch physicians to the community. He was at the helm as Medicare arrived, HMOs, and radical changes in medical care delivery. During his tenure average patient days at the hospital went from just under 10 to less than 5. As a result, Lamb also provided leadership as the County Hospital closed, and when Cottage acquired Pinecrest Hospital.
Lamb served as chair of the California Hospital Association and of the Association of Western Hospitals, president of the Hospital Council of Southern California. and as chair of the California Health Care Forum. He received the CHA Walker-Sullivan Fellowship Award for "outstanding contribution and leadership to hospitals and the health care community" in 1978.
Lamb moved from chief administrator of Cottage Hospital to the CEO of the Cottage Foundation in 1984. In 1989, Lamb retired from Cottage.
Lamb and Dorothy had two sons, Randy (1961) and John (1964). The couple divorced in 1984. Rodney remarried in 1986 to Nancy Gilpatrick. In 1991, Rod and Nancy moved to the Phoenix area.
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