Executive Team
Donna Hefner, DHA, RN, CPHRM
President/Chief Executive Officer
Donna Hefner is the President/Chief Executive Officer of Sierra View Medical Center and has over 35 years healthcare experience. She is a Registered Nurse who has served in various clinical and leadership roles throughout her career. She was appointed as the President/CEO in 2013 after serving on the Senior Leadership Team for 7 years. Her experience from previous roles have included: Senior Leadership oversight of Patient Care Services, Laboratory, Pharmacy, Respiratory, Risk Management, Patient Safety Compliance, Quality, Infection Control and Employee Safety. She has served in a staff role as Registered Nurse in Critical Care, Operating Room, Peri-Anesthesia Care Unit, and Medical/Surgical.
She is a native of Tulare County and has lived in the Central Valley of California for most of her life. She earned her Registered Nurse and Associate of Science Degrees from the College of the Sequoias and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from California State University, Dominquez Hills. She has also earned her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Healthcare Administration from Trident University. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Rotary International. She is serving on the Executive Committee and Section Chair for the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California and delegate on American Hospital Association Region 9 Policy Board for 2025. She is Chairperson for BETA Healthcare Group and Vice Chair of BETAlliance Insurance Services. She is past Chair and Vice Chair of the District Hospital Leadership Forum. She has been the recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award and named Women of the Year in 2022 by Assemblyman Mathis.
Roger Larsen, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Roger Larsen is the Chief Financial Officer at Sierra View Medical Center, bringing more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in healthcare finance and operations. Prior to assuming this role, he served as Interim Chief Financial Officer beginning in May 2026 and previously held the position of Director of Financial Planning and Revenue Cycle at Sierra View.
Throughout his career, Roger has held senior financial leadership positions with several healthcare organizations, including Community Health System, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Sutter Health, and Sharp HealthCare. His experience spans hospitals, physician groups, and large integrated healthcare systems. He also previously served as Interim Chief Executive Officer for Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation.
Roger's expertise includes financial strategy, revenue cycle management, capital planning, and operational improvement. As CFO, he oversees Sierra View's financial operations and supports the organization's financial stability and long-term strategic planning.
Roger is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Master of Science in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in International Business from California State University, Sacramento.
Brandy Irwin, DNP, RNC, PHN,
Vice President, Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer
Brandy Irwin is the Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Sierra View Medical Center, bringing more than 20 years of healthcare experience and over 17 years as a registered nurse. Her tenure at Sierra View spans more than two decades and includes both clinical practice and nursing leadership.
Prior to her appointment as Chief Nursing Officer, Brandy most recently served as Administrative Director of Nursing and Interim Chief Nursing Officer, where she provided oversight of patient care services, quality improvement, workforce development, and regulatory compliance. Her experience includes acute care, critical care, maternal child health, outpatient services, and nursing excellence initiatives.
Brandy holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership from Western Governors University and is currently completing her Doctorate of Nursing Leadership at Chamberlain University. She is committed to advancing nursing excellence, patient safety, and compassionate care for the communities served by Sierra View Medical Center.
Ron Wheaton
Vice President of Ambulatory & Chief Operating Officer
Ron Wheaton has over 30 years of healthcare experience, with over 17 of those years as a member of Senior Leadership at Sierra View. Since taking over physician recruiting 10 years ago, he has successfully recruited over 30 physicians to the community. He provides expertise in: physician practice start-up and management, physician alignment strategies, Ancillary Department oversight and business development opportunities.
While at Sierra View, Ron is credited for starting the 35-bed Subacute Unit. He is also credited for bringing attention to the Board of Directors for the community need to start an acute and chronic hemodialysis program, a wound care department, and an outpatient urology clinic which is co-managed and operated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. In addition, Ron is responsible for the commencement of the adult and pediatric hospitalist programs, and, most recently, the Sierra View Medical Center Cardiovascular Catheterization Lab.
Melissa Crippen, DHA, LCSW, CCM, CPHQ
Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Chief of Quality and Compliance Officer
Melissa Crippen has been with Sierra View Medical Center since 2014 and has decades of healthcare experience. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a Master's in Social Work, she became well acquainted with acute care in the hospital setting while completing her residential studies and never looked back. In her role as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Chief of Quality and Compliance Officer, Melissa leads the Patient Safety, Employee Health, Social Services, Care Management, Contracts, Infection Prevention, Quality, Risk Management, Marketing, Public Relations, and Sierra View Foundation teams.
Melissa holds a Doctorate in Health Administration with an emphasis on Healthcare Quality and Analytics from Capella University. Her previous roles at Sierra View included Director of Social Services, Director of Care Management, and Administrative Director of Quality and Care Management.
She grew up in Lemoore, California, and now lives in Tulare County. Melissa is committed to increasing access to health care for residents of the Central Valley and finding innovative ways to improve access to mental health services and community wellness from the emergency room to the organization’s outpatient clinics.