Melanie Van Winkle, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer

Melanie Van Winkle, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, joined Mammoth Hospital in January 2010 and has served as CFO for 16 years. During her tenure as CFO, she also served as Physician Clinics Administrator for four years, gaining valuable clinical operations experience.

In 2013, Melanie led the establishment of Mammoth Hospital’s Population Health department. This team has participated in new value-based payment models for Medicare and Medi-Cal patients, with a focus on prevention, early detection, and effective management of medical conditions. Over the last 12 years, the organization has successfully built processes to increase preventive screenings and help patients navigate the complexities of health care to better manage their conditions. In January 2026, Melanie was appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer.

Melanie has more than 30 years of health care leadership experience and has gained in-depth knowledge of Mammoth Hospital’s operations over the past 16 years. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Business/Accounting from San Diego State University and a Master’s of Healthcare Administration from Walden University. She began her career as a financial auditor with Deloitte in San Diego, where she worked for five years, and she maintains an active California Certified Public Accountant license. After gaining health care experience as an auditor, Melanie transitioned into hospital leadership and has held executive roles at three other district hospitals in California.

Melanie was first introduced to Mammoth Hospital in 2009—quite literally by chance. While camping nearby with her family, she came across the hospital during a walk and noticed that the CFO position was advertised. Early in her career, she had chosen the health care industry to be able to live and work in a smaller community, and she had always considered Mammoth Lakes an ideal place to live given the opportunity. Shortly after that vacation, she applied for the position—and the rest, as they say, is history.

Melanie’s leadership philosophy is to help people succeed in their own roles by bridging communication gaps, asking thoughtful questions, and fostering collaboration. She is known for her high integrity and her commitment to staying current with evolving health care regulations.

Outside of her work at Mammoth Hospital, Melanie enjoys being an active member of the community and spending time with her family. Her husband, Eric, is a real estate agent and serves as a host at Mammoth Mountain. They have four adult children. Melanie has served on two international humanitarian aid missions—responding to the war in Ukraine in 2022 and to the earthquake in Myanmar in 2025. She and her husband have also volunteered in recovery efforts following weather-related disasters across the United States. Together, they enjoy camping, hiking, biking, skiing, and traveling in their small RV.