Patrick Frias

President & CEO

Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego

Connect on LinkedIn

Patrick Frias


As the President and Chief Executive Officer of Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center, Dr. Patrick Frias leads one of the premier pediatric hospitals in the nation – ranked consistently by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s best pediatric hospitals and healthcare systems.

Led by the desire to improve the lives of children, Dr. Frias started his career as a pediatric cardiologist, while serving on the pediatric faculty at the Emory University School of Medicine. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Cardiology and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

To have a greater impact on children’s health and to drive broader innovation, Dr. Frias drew upon experience from his past clinical and leadership roles as he stepped into the CEO position at Rady Children’s, also serving on the California Children’s Hospital Association Board as its Chairman, the Children’s Hospital Association Quality and Safety Committee, the California Hospital Association Board of Trustees and the Chair of the Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties.

With constant focus on the mission of pediatric healthcare excellence and innovation, Rady Children’s, led by Dr. Frias, has excelled in the areas of child and adolescent mental health, genomic medicine, orthopedics, neonatology, and many others. It is the largest pediatric hospital on the West Coast of the United States, with 511 inpatient beds and a comprehensive list of services that include six urgent care sites, mental health, home care, convalescent care and satellite care, with more than 30 subspecialty services. As part of its growth and development, Rady Children’s also redefined philanthropy for pediatric healthcare to continue cutting-edge innovation and to drive advancements in next-level areas, such as precision medicine, to transform pediatric care.

Dr. Frias holds a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Creighton University, and completed medical school at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. He completed his pediatric residency at Duke University Medical Center, and his pediatric cardiology and electrophysiology fellowships at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Frias and his wife have a daughter and three sons.

Speaker Sessions