David Butler named new president for Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley

David Butler has been named president of Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley. He will also remain president of Adventist Health Delano. Recently, Adventist Health in Kern County aligned to better serve the nearly 1 million residents living in Kern County.

"I'm excited to serve with the amazing team in Tehachapi as we continue to provide quality care to those in Tehachapi and the surrounding communities," said Butler, whose 30+ years of experience includes roles as president in hospitals ranging in size from 25 to 300 beds from California to Tennessee.

In addition to hospital leadership, Butler has a long-term care background, a nursing degree and an MBA.

"Under David's leadership at Adventist Health Tillamook, the hospital was named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital, doubled the size of its rural health clinics and expanded its physician network, among other achievements," said Daniel Wolcott, President of Kern County Care Delivery. "David will no doubt continue to improve in the success of our Tehachapi medical center as well as our clinics, expanding care for more people in the community," he added.

Butler said he is eager to begin his new role. "I'm so impressed by Adventist Health's Tehachapi Valley's commitment to healing and wellness and look forward to starting this new chapter with the Tehachapi community."

Butler replaces Jeff Lingerfelt, who relocated in August 2020 from Tehachapi to Virginia to be closer to family.

Butler and Lingerfelt actually went to college together and remain good friends.

Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii as well as others across the U.S. through its Blue Zones company, a pioneer in taking a systemic and environmental approach to improving the health of entire cities and communities. Through this work, Adventist Health is leading a 21st century well-being transformation movement. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, its innovative Adventist Health Hospital@Home program that provides virtual in-patient care at home, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 37,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God's love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing to support community well-being.