New chief medical officer welcomed at Riverside Community Hospital

Riverside, Calif. — Riverside Community Hospital, an affiliate of HCA Healthcare, announced today that Shesh Rao, MD, has been named Chief Medical Officer, effective November 17, 2025.

Dr. Rao previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, since 2018. As CMO, Dr. Rao implemented multidisciplinary team rounds for every patient in acute care, significantly reducing length of stay and readmission rates while promoting timely discharges. He also enhanced patient experience and collaborated with the Clinical Documentation and Quality teams to optimize physician and resident documentation practices and advance interventions to prevent hospital-acquired infections.

Before being named CMO, Dr. Rao served as Director of Hospital Medicine, leading the hospitalist team to improve length of stay, reduce readmission rates and elevate patient experience. He also served as Physician Advisor, Residency Program Director, Designated Institutional Official for Graduate Medical Education and Site Director for University of Illinois College of Medicine medical students.

A seasoned internist, hospitalist and educator, Dr. Rao earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, his medical degree from SABA University School of Medicine, his Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Illinois and his MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Rao is passionate about advancing standards and strategies for safety and quality, clinical documentation excellence and physician engagement.

“Dr. Rao’s extensive experience in quality care, physician engagement and graduate medical education will be a tremendous addition to our team,” said Peter Hemstead, chief executive officer at Riverside Community Hospital. “His strong background in leading teams, managing complex projects and developing efficient processes will help enhance our organizational performance as we continue working toward being the premier healthcare destination for all we serve.”

Dr. Rao’s wife, Radhika, also an internist, is a medical director at a pharmaceutical company. Their daughter and son are both undergraduate students. The family, along with their beloved Australian Labradoodle, Rafael, looks forward to moving closer to their extended family in Southern California and joining the Inland Empire community.