ACHE Members in the News

Oceans Healthcare, Plano, Texas, announced the appointment of Darin Szilagyi, FACHE, as senior vice president of communications. Szilagyi will develop and oversee all marketing and communications strategies across Oceans’ hospitals and partnerships, which span inpatient and outpatient treatment in nearly 50 facilities across nine states.

David Smith, FACHE, has joined Mercy Hospital Pittsburg as the new administrator. He will oversee the day-to-day operations of the hospital, as he has at other hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin since 2018.

CommonSpirit Health, Chicago, a parent company of CHI St. Vincent, Little Rock, Ark., has named Bob Sarkar, FACHE, as interim market vice president of population health and physician alignment.

The Knoxville (Tenn.) Area Urban League has named Laurie Shanderson Evans, PhD, FACHE, as its new president and CEO.

Jupiter (Fla.) Medical Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Allison Viramontes, CPA, FACHE, as the health system’s vice president, CFO.

Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, Manistique, Mich., is pleased to announce the appointment of Robert Mach, FACHE, as its new CEO, effective Aug. 15, 2025. A past resident of Holly, Mich., Robert brings decades of healthcare leadership experience and a strong record of operational excellence to the organization.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced the appointment of Duane Gill, FACHE, as the interim executive director of the Sheridan VA Health Care System to oversee the delivery of health care services to more than 12,000 enrolled Veterans.

Michael Lieb, FACHE, has been named as Deborah Heart and Lung Center’s new COO. Lieb started at the Browns Mills-based healthcare facility in June and has more than 30 years of senior healthcare leadership experience.

In a recent roundtable discussion featuring industry experts tackling pressing security and data concerns, Mona Miliner, FACHE, FACMPE, FHFMA, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center vice president of operations, emphasized the importance of robust IT platforms integrated into infrastructures, protected by scalable, automated and interoperable encryption. She described information assurance as a transformative strategy across all industries.

David J. Masterson, FACHE, will join Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital in South Boston in July as president.

Kendra Crawford joins Santa Rosa (Calif.) Memorial Hospital as CNO. She previously served as associate chief nursing officer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston.

Rohith Saravanan, MD, CPE, FACHE, writes that men in Midland, Texas, “are renowned for their hard work and self-reliance—but that rugged Permian Basin lifestyle comes with serious health challenges. On average, men live about five years shorter than women. In fact, many die in their prime from causes that are often preventable.”

Russ Smith, PharmD, FACHE, a longtime administrator at the University of Toledo (Ohio) Medical Center, has been appointed COO, where he will have primary responsibility for hospital operations while continuing to oversee pharmacy, laboratory and radiology operations, the Eleanor N. Dana Cancer Center and other ancillary services.

Altru Health System, Grand Forks, N.D., has selected Tanner White, FACHE, as the CEO of the future Altru Hospital in Devils Lake.

Rutherford Regional Health System, a Duke LifePoint facility, has announced the appointment of Sudandra Ratnasamy, RN, FACHE, as its new CEO, effective June 23.

Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, a 30-year veteran of Hackensack Meridian Health, is being promoted to COO, effective July 2.

Bill Butcher, FACHE, has been selected as the new executive director of Cougar Health Services, Washington State University, Pullman campus. He will begin his role on June 2.

Michael H. Mittelman, OD, FACHE, will be the next president of Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Yakima, Wash.

Baystate Health announced the appointment of Brandon Okezie as the new president and COO of Baystate Noble Hospital, Westfield, Mass.

Mount Sinai Health System has announced the promotion of Cameron R. Hernandez, MD, FACHE, to president and COO of Mount Sinai Queens, N.Y.

Frederick (Md.) Health Hospital has selected Cheryl Cioffi, DNP, RN, FACHE, as its new president and CEO, effective July 1, 2025. She is currently the chief administrative officer at the hospital.

Covenant Health has announced Paul Smith as the health system’s new vice president of behavioral health, effective April 21. Smith will lead Covenant Health’s behavioral health initiatives, including inpatient and outpatient services offered through Peninsula, a division of Parkwest Medical Center.

Robbert “Rob” Anderson was appointed CEO of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. In this role, Anderson is responsible to lead the team in advancing the hospital’s commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare services to the Lakewood Ranch community and beyond.

Memorial Health Meadows Hospital announced the appointment of W. Wesley “Wes” Taylor, FACHE, CPPS, as its new CEO, effective May 1. Taylor brings nearly 20 years of healthcare leadership experience across both large academic medical centers and rural community hospitals.

Daviess Community Hospital announced the appointment of Justin Harris, FACHE, as the organization’s new CEO. Harris will officially join the hospital July 1.

Sue Shugart, FACHE, will start as CEO May 26 at Haywood Regional Medical Center, Clyde, N.C. Shugart will also serve as “market president” for HRMC, Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, and Swain Community Hospital in Bryson City.

Advocate Health, Charolotte, N.C., has named Steve Smoot, FACHE, as North Carolina and Georgia Division president effective June 2.

Chris Howe was appointed vice president/COO, Friendship House, a vital behavioral health and human services organization in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Karen Pinsky, MD, FACHE, has been appointed CEO, Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital, West Chester, Pa., following her tenure as interim CEO since July 2024.

Deirdre A. Blaus has been named chief administrative officer, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Somerville, N.J., an RWJBarnabas Health hospital. Blaus has led the hospital in an interim role since June.

Gregory D. Eberhart, MD, FACHE, has been named CMO, Memorial Medical Center, Las Cruces, Texas.

Tricia Costigan, FACHE, has been named president of a MaineHealth Memorial Hospital, North Conway, N.H.

Hendrick Health is pleased to welcome Ron Holder, FACHE, FACMPE, as chief administrative officer for Hendrick Clinic and Hendrick Anesthesia Network.

David Callecod, FACHE, has been named CEO of Ochsner LSU Health System of North Louisiana, Shreveport. He has been serving in the role of interim CEO since November 2024.

Bayhealth, Dover, Del., has named Kyle E. Benoit, FACHE, as its executive vice president and COO.

Eric Lunde was promoted to CEO/president, AdventHealth Fish Memorial, Orange City, Fla., effective Feb. 9.

Ruth E. Cassidy, PharmD, FACHE, FASHP, has been named the inaugural chief pharmacy officer at Montefiore Health System, N.Y., N.Y.

With more than 10 years of rural health experience, Jay Carmichael, FACHE, has been named Horizon Health president/CEO, effective Jan. 20.

HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division has announced the promotion of Elias Armendariz, FACHE, to CEO, HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland.

St. Joseph Healthcare announced that Mary Prybylo RN, FACHE, senior vice president, Covenant Health, and president, St. Joseph Healthcare, Bangor, Maine, will retire on May 1.

Adventist HealthCare has announced that Daffodil Baez will be the new president of Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington (Md.) Medical Center.

Sarah Willson, FACHE, was appointed director, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Willson will assume the role effective Feb. 14, and awaits Missouri Senate confirmation.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn., has appointed Maria Megdal as the hospital’s executive vice president and chief administrative officer.

Richard Parker, FACHE, writes that “As healthcare facilities increasingly focus on patient safety and infection prevention, effective water management has become a critical aspect of medical device processing. To address this, ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023 was introduced last year as a new, comprehensive standard for water quality systems in device reprocessing.”

Lynn Carpenter, FACHE, will become president and COO of Lima (Ohio) Memorial Health System in January.

After 35 years of tireless service to the people and patients of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., C. Wright Pinson, MD, deputy CEO and chief health system officer, will step down from that role. Pinson will continue as president of the Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network and serve as a senior counselor to the CEO of VUMC dealing with government affairs, external hospital organizations and community affairs.

Damond W. Boatwright, FACHE, president and CEO, Hospital Sisters Health System, Springfield, Ill., writes that “as many of us scroll through our favorite news app, we are greeted by reports of workplace violence, from verbal and physical confrontations to fatal shootings. What is often missing from the headlines are stories of the increasingly high frequency of workplace assaults suffered by health care professionals across the country.”

Michael Stern, FACHE, will be promoted to president and CEO, effective Feb. 24, 2025, of Tower Health, West Reading, Pa. Stern currently serves as Tower Health’s president and COO.

Judy Bruno, RN, FACHE, has been named president and CEO of WVU Medicine Barnesville (Ohio) Hospital and WVU Medicine Harrison Community Hospital, Cadiz, Ohio.

Banner Health, Phoenix, has named Alison Flynn Gaffney, FACHE, CEO, Banner–University Medical Center Tucson and Banner–University Medical Center South, effective Dec. 2.

Jigar Thakkar, PharmD, FACHE, was named CEO, LongitudeRX. He joins Longitude Health from OU Health in Oklahoma where he served as the chief administrative officer and chief pharmacy officer.

United Regional, Wichita Falls, Kan., announced its newly appointed CEO, Cory Edmondson, FACHE, will take office in February.

John R. Tucker, FACHE, has been hired to be the new president of Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center and will start in January.

Jeffrey Harrison was named CEO, Florida Rehabilitation Hospital at Tampa (Fla.). Most recently, he held the position of market CEO for three specialty hospitals in the Tampa Bay area.

Thomas Aloia, MD, FACS, FACHE, will be promoted to executive vice president and chief clinical officer.

Philip Koovakada was promoted to president, Orlando (Fla.) Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, Maggie Bonko, FACHE, was named president, Orlando Health—Health Central Hospital, and Joe Khayat, was named president, Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital.

Nicholas Manning, FACHE, has been appointed CEO of West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, Idaho.

After more than two decades of dedicated service, Gordon B. Ferguson, FACHE, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, Murfreesboro, Tenn., has announced his decision to retire, effective at the end of June 2025. This marks the conclusion of a 26-year career at the hospital, 19 of which he served as president and CEO.

Chris Boukas, RN, FACHE, has been named COO at Catholic Health’s St. Catherine of Siena Hospital.

Kelly Lindsay, who had been COO at HCA Florida Brandon for the last four years, was promoted to CEO of the Englewood hospital.

Maggy Perez-Dickens has been named president of Holy Cross Medical Group, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and will also serve on the Holy Cross Health senior leadership team.

Belinda Farmer has joined Mercy Hospital Carthage (Mo.) as administrator of the critical access hospital.

In a recent question and answer session, Mona Miliner, FACHE, FACMPE, FACHCA, vice president, Operations, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center, gave her perspective on the use of AI from a medical operations standpoint. She discussed the need for effective integration, and understanding the balance between new technology and the human touch, stating that the latter remains essential.

Greg Kharabadze, FACHE, will become senior associate dean, chief operations and finance officer, for the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Jan. 1.

The Imperial Valley Healthcare District, El Centro, Calif., Board of Directors voted unanimously last night to bring on Christopher R. Bjornberg, FACHE as its new interim CEO.

Quyen Wong, DNP, RN, NE-BC, has been named associate executive director of patient care and CNO at Northwell Northern Westchester Hospital, Mount Kisco, N.Y.

Berks Community Health Center, Reading, Pa., is proud to announce the hiring of Laura Mattavi as CFO.

HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division, Houston, has announced the promotion of Joel K. North III, to CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest.

Kathleen D. Sanford, DBA, RN, FAAN, FACHE, executive vice president/CNO, CommonSpirit, Englewood, Colo.; and Gay L. Landstrom PhD, RN, FAAN, FACHE, senior vice president/CNO, Trinity Health, Warren, Mich., write that clinical organizations must innovate by implementing and testing new models of care that use both virtual and onsite nurses and other team members.

Randolph “Randy” Howard Jr., FACHE, has joined Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, Mass., as senior vice president and COO.

Beth Walker, FACHE, former CEO, Ochsner Baptist, has been promoted to CEO, Ochsner Medical Center–New Orleans.

Jamie Shepherd, FACHE, is Shepherd Center’s, Atlanta, new CEO. Shepherd assumed the role on Sept. 23.

TriStar Skyline Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., announce that Brian Marger, FACHE, is its new CEO.

Sharon Hunt, PhD, FACHE, associate professor in the Department of Healthcare Management & Leadership at the TTUHSC School of Health Professions, said “A rural hospital will tend to have lower volumes, so it's hard to cover the cost when you're paid a per diem or a set rate. For that reason, many rural hospitals have converted to critical access hospitals because they get cost reimbursement from Medicare.”

Stacy Harberson, FACHE, was named CEO of Howard Memorial Hospital, Nashville, Ark., where she served as COO.

Robert Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health System, Edison, N.J., writes that “the world is on the cusp of a technology-enabled revolution, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution poised to transform every industry, from finance to transportation to healthcare. AI has tremendous potential in healthcare, to transform how we care for our patients and deliver and receive care.”

“Historically, there has not been a consistent and transparent process regarding the approval of procedures for reimbursement in the ambulatory surgical centers,” says Andy Poole, FACHE, associate director, strategy and innovation, for healthcare technology and safety company ECRI, Plymouth Meeting, Pa. That makes it a challenge to predict what procedures are most likely to shift to the outpatient setting in the next six or seven years.

Michael Hann, MD, FACHE, FAPA, joins Sheppard Pratt, Baltimore, from Brook Lane Health Services, Hagerstown, Md., where he held the role of CMO.

Forrest Health, Hattiesburg, Miss., is pleased to announce the hiring of Kimberly Reddish, RN, as its CNO. Reddish assumed the duties of vice president/CNO effective Sept. 9.

After 20 years of steadfast dedication and commitment to Main Line Health, Bryn Mawr, Pa., John “Jack” Lynch III, FACHE, president and CEO, will retire, effective June 30, 2025.

Wayne Fraleigh, FACHE, with clinical training and more than 23 years of leadership responsibilities, has been named CEO at Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies, Fort Collins, Colo.

Cincinnati Rehabilitation Hospital in Blue Ash announced Jennifer Jones as the hospital's new CEO.

Russell R. Barksdale Jr. writes “palliative care that focuses on symptom control and comfort measures has been shown to relieve suffering while maximizing [patients’] quality of life.”

Jared Shelton, FACHE, has been appointed president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. Shelton transitions from Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford, where he served as president for two years.

Crista F. Durand, FACHE, president of Newport (R.I.) Hospital, writes that “beneath the surface of our commitment to health and wellness lies a growing challenge that threatens to undermine our ability to serve: the acute shortage of workforce housing here in Newport and across Aquidneck Island.”

Sunny Bhatia, MD, FACHE, FACC, FSCAI, has been named the first president of Prime Healthcare, Ontario, Calif., a health system with 44 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations in 14 states.

Kevin Tuttle, FACHE, has been appointed associate dean for finance and administration at Stony Brook (N.Y.) School of Dental Medicine.

Aaron “Zack” Royston, FACHE, has joined University of Maryland Shore Regional Health as vice president of Rural Health Care Transformation and executive director of UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System.

Medical City Fort Worth (Texas) has named Brandy Stegall, RN, NEA-BC, as CNO.

Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, Somerset, Ky., announced that Carolyn Sparks has been named its new CEO. Sparks has served as interim CEO since May.

The United States Navy Memorial will present Jack O. Bovender Jr., LFACHE, former chairman/CEO of HCA, Nashville, Tenn., and U.S. Navy veteran, with the 2024 Lone Sailor Award.

Baptist Health, Little Rock, Ark., recently promoted Jay Quebedeaux, FACHE, to the role of president of regional hospitals for Baptist Health, a news release said.

Northwestern Medical Center, Saint Albans, Vt., has announced that Michelle Buck, DNP, FACHE, will be joining NMC as the new CNO.

Water Street Healthcare Partners, Chicago, announced the appointment of William P. Santulli, FACHE, as operating partner. Santulli is Chair of ACHE. The longtime industry executive joins Water Street from Advocate Health and will focus on opportunities to build companies specializing in technology and business services for healthcare providers.

Damond W. Boatwright, FACHE, president/CEO, Hospital Sisters Health System, Springfield, Ill., writes that “the ‘disruptors’ are learning painful lessons those of us in nonprofit healthcare have long known. U.S. healthcare is too expensive, both for providers and the people we serve. But it’s not because it’s run by for-profit corporations, mega systems or greedy executives who believe margin is more important than the mission. If it only were that simple.”

Now that Cano Health, Miami, has successfully emerged from bankruptcy, it is well on the way to achieving its ultimate goal—putting the patient first. “It’s really uncommon to have the court approve a reorganization plan and to exit bankruptcy on the same day, but that’s what happened on June 28, 2024,” said CEO Mark Kent, FACHE, FACMPE.

After more than a decade with UM Shore Regional Health, Easton, Md., William Huffner, MD, FACEP, FACHE, who served during this time as CMO and senior vice president, Medical Affairs, retired at the end of June.

Richard Parker, FASHE, FACHE, associate director, physical environment and life safety at Accreditation Commission for Health Care Inc., writes that ongoing documentation of temperature and humidity on procedural days is essential to compliance. A response plan for when these measures fall out of range will factor in the amount of deviation, the duration of deviation and the time of day that deviation occurs.

Baystate Health, Springfield, Mass., recently welcomed Charlotte “DeSha” McLeod, FACHE, as its new director of Hospice and Palliative Care.

Shasta Addessi was named senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco and Redwood City medical centers.

HealthONE, part of HCA Healthcare’s Continental Division, announced the promotion of Scott Davis, FACHE, to president/CEO, Swedish Medical Center, Denver.

Arkansas Children’s is promoting longtime leader Ryan Solomon, JD, to senior vice president of hospital operations for Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.

Alesia Coe, DNP, RN, FACHE, has been named University of Chicago Medical Center ’s vice president, Patient Care Services and CNO.

Emily Chase, PhD, RN, FACHE, has been named executive vice president/COO at the University of Chicago Medical Center, the hub of the University of Chicago health system.

Clara Maass Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has appointed Jordan A. Solop, FACHE, as COO, Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville, N.J.

Richard G. Greenhill, DHA, FACHE, joins Quality Insights, Charleston, W.Va., as chief transformation officer, bringing extensive experience in healthcare leadership and analytics to drive forward the organization's transformative initiatives and mission to improve health and healthcare.

Kenneth C. Wong, FACHE, writes that “a paradigm shift is underway. Innovations geared towards monitoring hospital spending and clinical outcomes are gaining traction.”

Cheryl Thieschafer, a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Army who achieved the rank of major in various leadership roles, has been appointed as the new director of the Medical Center at the St. Cloud (Minn.) VA Health Care System.

Owensboro (Ky.) Health has appointed Beth Steele, RN, FACHE, COO, a newly created position that will focus on systemwide operations.

Kris Doan, FACHE, has been named president of Augusta Medical Group at Augusta Health in Fishersville, Va. He most recently served as COO, Health First, Melbourne, Fla.

The CommonSpirit Health Mountain Region is pleased to announce Kyle Brostrom, FACHE, will serve as CEO of Holy Cross Hospital–Davis, a 220-bed state-of-the-art facility and the hospital of choice for patients in Layton and surrounding communities in northern Utah.

Alejandro Romero was named CEO of Las Palmas Medical Center, West El Paso, Texas.

Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, N.Y., is proud to announce the appointment of Ann Marie Brooks, PhD, RN, FACHE, as the interim dean of the School of Nursing.

Jody Reyes, FACHE, has been named COO of the clinical enterprise of UI Health Care, Iowa City, Iowa. She will begin her new role on June 28.

David McFadyen, FACHE, was named president and CEO Trinity Health, West Region, Boise, Idaho. McFadyen will begin his role on July 1, 2024.

Parkridge Health System announced Caroline F. Burris as the new COO for Parkridge East Hospital, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Chris Sloan, FACHE, assumed the role of executive vice president, Medical Operations, Loyal Source Government Services, Orlando, Fla.

CommonSpirit Health, the Chicago-based healthcare conglomerate, has named Jeremy Bradshaw, FACHE, as market president for the Greater Salt Lake market.

Skyler Reed, FACHE, has been named CEO of Medical City Children’s Hospital and Medical City Women’s Hospital Dallas.

Andrew Goldfrach, FACHE, was named CEO of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Colton, Calif.

Phoenix Children's announced Justin Bradshaw, FACHE, will join its leadership team as executive vice president/COO.

HCA Midwest Health, Kansas City, announced that Gabe Clements has been appointed CEO of Lee’s Summit Medical Center.

This commentary is from Adtalem Global Education. Blake Simpson is Adtalem’s senior vice president, chief communications and corporate affairs officer. Karen Cox, PhD, RN, FACHE, is president of Chamberlain University.

Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical System has appointed Richelle Webb Dixon, FACHE, senior vice president and chief administrative officer for the 11-hospital academic health system.

The Indiana Hospital Association named Blake Dye, LFACHE, as interim president of the association.

“Put people first” is the number one priority for BG Bill A. Soliz, FACHE, the armed forces’ first active-duty physician assistant to become a general. He was promoted by Lt. Gen. Mary K. Izaguirre, U.S. Army Surgeon General, during a May 11 ceremony at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Soliz is the commanding general of Medical Readiness Command, Pacific and the director of Defense Health Network Indo-Pacific.

NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health has gone a full year without a single catheter-associated urinary tract infection, the hospital said April 30. “This milestone reflects the tireless devotion to patient safety, adherence to best practices and the relentless pursuit of nursing excellence,” Manjinder Kaur, DNP, RN, FACHE, CNO, NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health, said in an April 30 news release.

Scott A. Edelman, CPA, was named executive director of Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, White Plains, N.Y. Edelman has been with Burke Rehabilitation for more than 25 years, and he most recently served as Burke’s interim executive director and was previously senior vice president/CFO.

Shannon McAllister, FACHE, AVP, Population Health/Telemedicine, WVU Medicine, Morgantown, W.Va., was the recipient of a leadership award, and Evelyn Abrahante Terrell, OTD, FACHE, executive director, Strategy, Nicklaus Children’s Health System, Miami, earned a Fellowship, both from the American Telemedicine Association.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital announced May 3 that Julia Mason, DNP, RN,, will join the Brigham as CNO/senior vice president, Patient Care Services, effective June 10.

Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital has a new executive director. Margaret M. Horvath, FACHE, moves into the position after leading the Alaska Health Alliance, a Providence-sponsored clinically integrated network.

Jay DeVenny, FACHE, was named the CEO, Medical City, Dallas. He has served as CEO of Medical City Children’s Hospital and Medical City Women’s Hospital Dallas since January 2021. In his new role, he will also lead Medical City Heart Hospital and Medical City Spine Hospital.

Steve Altmiller will be retiring as the president and CEO of WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center, Parkersburg, W.Va., at the end of the summer. The medical center issued a press release Wednesday saying Altmiller will be retiring on Aug. 31.

CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital–San Marcos (Texas) welcomes Robert “Bob” Honeycutt as its new president.

Siskin Children's Institute, Chattanooga, Tenn., announces the appointment of Allen Bible as its new COO.

Shelly Soileau will join the Opelousas (La.) General Health System staff as the CFO, effective June 3. Soileau brings years of knowledge and experience in accounting, strategic and financial planning, as well as budget development and financial analysis.

Medical centers don’t have it easy. Part of Will Gordon’s job as the new leader of Abbeville (S.C.) Area Medical Center is to make sure that patients and staff do have it easy.

Matthew Whitley has been named COO, Erlanger Behavioral Health, Chattanooga, Tenn. Whitley was previously associated with Storypoint Group, where he worked as executive director for 23 years.

Infrastructure firm Bernhard, New Orleans, announced a 30-year energy-as-a-service partnership with Hackensack (N.J.) Meridian Health. “This partnership marks a significant milestone in sustainable healthcare practices and underscores Hackensack Meridian Health’s unwavering commitment to energy resilience and environmental sustainability,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health.

HCA Florida South Shore Hospital, Sun City, Fla., announced the appointment of David Link as the new vice president of Operations. With over 24 years of experience in healthcare, Link brings a wealth of expertise and a background in driving operational excellence to HCA Healthcare.

Thanks to the generosity of Stuart H. Fine, DHA, LFACHE, and Sandra K. Fine, Montgomery County Community College’s nursing program, Blue Bell, Pa., will be known as the Dr. Stuart H. & Sandra K. Fine Nursing Program. Stuart Fine has been a member of ACHE since 1977.

Jonathan Plasencia, FACHE, is now serving Core Clinical Partners as vice president of Operations. With a background in hospital administration, Plasencia brings invaluable expertise, quickly forging impactful relationships with hospital partners and managing multiple priorities with ease.

Margaret M. Horvath, FACHE, has been named executive director of Providence Alaska Children’s Hospital, Anchorage. In this role, Horvath will oversee children’s and women’s services.

In a Q&A, Saima Aftab, MD, FACHE, vice president of business development and chief strategy officer, Nicklaus Children’s Health System, Miami, shares her insights on the recent trends in pediatric healthcare.

Jay deVenny, FACHE, has been appointed CEO of Medical City Dallas, a 909-bed hospital. DeVenny previously served as CEO of Medical City Children’s Hospital and Medical City Women’s Hospital Dallas.

Ryan R. Hawkins, formerly the Jackson North Medical Center COO, North Miami Beach, Fla., has been promoted to president/CEO of Jessie Trice Health System, Miami.

Michael J. Randall, FACHE, assumed his new role in February at Franciscan Health Olympia Fields (Ill.). He was previously vice president of medical specialties, Duly Health and Care, Downers Grove, Ill.

Catholic Health has named Justin Lundbye, MD, FACHE, as president of Good Samaritan University Hospital, West Islip, N.Y.

Ardent Health, Nashville, Tenn., today announced the appointment of David Schultz, FACHE, as president of hospital operations. Schultz, who has served in an interim capacity since December, will work closely with hospital leadership teams.

Peter S. Fine, FACHE, who led Banner Health, Phoenix, through 24 years of unprecedented growth and a rise to national prominence, will retire on June 30.

Catholic Health, Buffalo, N.Y., is pleased to announce that Meghan Aldrich, DNP, has been named president of Sisters of Charity Hospital and St. Joseph Campus.

Bert Roberson was promoted to CFO, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, West Consolidated Patient Accounts Center, Las Vegas, from clinic administrator, VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, North Las Vegas.

The Emergency Nurses Association, Schaumburg, Ill., welcomed Bradley Goettl, DNP, FACHE, as its first chief clinical officer.

Justin Turner has been named the chief operating officer for Rivers Health, Point Pleasant, W.Va., a member of Marshall Health Network.

Gregory A. Nielsen, FACHE, has been appointed the permanent CEO of East Jefferson General Hospital, Metairie, La., according to LCMC Health.

Hartford HealthCare announced the appointment of Gina L. Calder, FACHE, as the next president of the central region, which includes MidState Medical Center in Meriden and The Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain.

Paul Kempinski, FACHE, president/CEO, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, said the partnership is “about providing excellent care to kids in their community.”

Grady Health System, Atlanta, announced that Anthony Saul, FACHE, has been promoted to senior executive vice president and COO/CFO.

Howard J. Gershon, LFACHE, has retired as of Jan. 1, 2024. He was the founding principal of New Heights Group, Santa Fe, N.M., and a former ACHE Regent for New Mexico.

Recovery Centers of America Capital Region, Waldorf, Md., named Fredericka Ford as CEO.

The University of Vermont Cancer Center and the UVM Health Network are pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin A. Vest, FACHE, network vice president, Cancer Clinical Programs.

Healthcare IT Leaders announced the hire of Steven Cardenas, FACHE, as senior vice president, Government Services.

Hong Potomski, FACHE, to market leader, Florida Blue, Pensacola, from senior director, Regional Business Development.

Daniel P. Ireland, FACHE, president/COO, Rochester (N.Y.) Regional Health Finger Lakes Rural Hospitals,, and Donna McGregor, FACHE, president, St. Lawrence Health, Rochester (N.Y.) Regional Health, both named by Becker’s Hospital Review as rural hospital and health system CEOs to know.

Valley View Medical Center, Ft. Mohave, Ariz., a Lifepoint Health hospital, announced that Blake Hubbard has been named its new CEO.

HSS Florida has appointed Heather Woolf, RN, as vice president and senior administrator for its teams and facilities in Palm Beach County.

UF Health Jacksonville (Fla.) has welcomed Kerin A. Da Cruz, RN, NE-BC, FACHE, as its new senior vice president/CNO.

E.J. Kuiper, DPT, has been selected as the next president and CEO of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System.

Barbara Martin, RN, FACHE, will be joining Ascension Illinois as the president of Ascension Saint Joseph–Joliet effective March 11.

Emily Mastaler named chief administrative officer, Stony Brook Southampton (N.Y.) Hospital.

Angel McCullough, DNP, RN, FACHE, has been named CNO, St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa., and Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia.

Drew Tyrer, FACHE, named CEO of HCA Florida Westside Hospital.

Crystal Farmer, RN, FACHE, has assumed dual responsibilities of COO and CNO at Augusta Health.

Frankfort (Ky.) Regional Medical Center appointed John Ballard, PhD, FACHE, as CEO.

Don Mueller, FACHE, named president/CEO, Siskin Children's Institute.

Kofi A. Cash, DSc, FACHE, to executive director, Enterprise Hospital Operations, McLean Hospital, Mass General Brigham Health Care System, Belmont, Mass., from COO, Jewish Hospital, UofL Health, Louisville, Ky.

Intermountain Health announced that Lee Boyles, FACHE, has been named the president of Intermountain Health Montana/Wyoming Market and St. Vincent Regional Hospital.

Sutter Coast Hospital has announced the appointment of Michael Lane, FACHE, as COO.

The National Kidney Foundation, New York, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jerry J.K. Tillery, FACHE, as the senior vice president, field development and community impact.

Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, Ark., recently celebrated the investiture of Heather Cherry, DNP, RN, NE-BC, as the recipient and steward of the John Boyd Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Nursing.

Anderson Healthcare, Maryville, Ill., a Metro East healthcare network, has announced the appointment of Mike Marshall, CPA, FACHE, as its new president and CEO.

Brazosport College’s Bachelor in Health Services Management program was recently awarded the American College of Healthcare Executives’ Higher Education Network Award, given to one graduate and one undergraduate program each year in healthcare administration/health services management from across the country.

David L. Schreiner, PhD, FACHE, president/CEO, Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital, Dixon, Ill., writes that “Private equity ownership of rural hospitals is growing, but so are concerns about the effects private equity firms can have on quality of care in small, community hospitals.

AdventHealth welcomed Byron Dixon, MD, FACHE, to his new role as CMO, AdventHealth Hendersonville (N.C).

Rear Adm. Anne M. Swap, FACHE, is the recipient of the Gold Medal Award, and Ashley R. Vertuno, FACHE, is the recipient of the Robert S. Hudgens Memorial Award for Young Healthcare Executive of the Year.

Theresa Rutherford, RN, FACHE, president/CEO, HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, has announced her plans to retire. Her last day will be April 1, 2024. Rutherford will retire with over 45 years of experience in healthcare.

Claudia Douglass, FACHE, has joined Grant Thornton as a principal and Healthcare industry growth leader. Douglass is a former COO and strategy leader.

Tom Hathaway has been promoted to president of Holy Cross Medical Group, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., a multi-specialty physician employed group.

A.J. Wilhelmi, president/CEO, Illinois Health & Hospital Association, writes that “[in] response to workforce challenges, hospitals are taking innovative approaches to attract and retain healthcare workers and alter this trajectory. This includes increased wages, signing and retention bonuses, new procedures to protect healthcare workers from violence and implementing new models of care.”

Richard Parker, FASHE, FACHE, writes that “Accreditation surveys can be stressful when you don’t know what to expect. You know a life safety surveyor will tour your surgical environment, but what are they looking for exactly? The life safety lens focuses on fire safety, electrical safety and other patient protective features specific to surgery. Understanding that perspective, OR leaders can be better prepared for this non-clinical portion of a survey and help their staff understand the kinds of questions that might arise.”

Wayne Coveyduck, LFACHE, president/CEO, Lennox and Addington County General Hospital, Napanee, Ont., will retire March 31.

Ty Kennon has joined North Oaks Health System as vice president of marketing and business development.

Ken Sturtz, FACHE, has been appointed as chief information and administrative officer, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute LLC.

Ballad Health Medical Associates has named Meridith O’Keefe COO.

Corewell Health has appointed Drew Dostal, FACHE, as the new regional market leader serving Newaygo, Mason, Oceana, Osceola, Mecosta, Montcalm and Muskegon counties.

Jonathan Leer was named to lead the division of hematology at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Md.

Scott Wooten, FACHE, to CFO, Sanford Health, Sioux Falls, S.D., from executive vice president/CFO, Baptist Health, Jacksonville, Fla.

HCA Healthcare West Florida Division named Brent Burish, CEO, HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital.

“Arkansas Children's cares for and supports thousands of children every week. They are children who need us only briefly to treat an illness or injury. And they are children who rely on our extraordinary team to search for an elusive diagnosis, to explore options for treatment, to advocate for advances in medicine that might someday lead to their cures," said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president and CEO, Arkansas Children's.

Mark Armstrong, FACHE, was named to lead Aprio LLP’s healthcare practice, where he will accelerate the development of the practice to become a substantial contributor to firm growth.

Richard Parker, FACHE, FASHE, writes that as technology and equipment advance, and new procedures are added, every surgery department may confront demolition, renovation or construction at some point.

David P. Bernard, FACHE, senior vice president, Houston Methodist, officially assumed the role of CEO, Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital.

Methodist Health System has named Cody Hunter, FACHE, as the first president of its newest hospital in Celina, Texas.

William J. Calhoun, FACHE, to CEO, St. Patrick Hospital, Missoula, Mont., from CEO, Kearny (Neb.) Regional Medical Center.

Joshua J. LaFleur to, vice president, Operations, Penn Highlands Clearfield (Pa.), from director, Clinical Operations, Ochsner Baptist, New Orleans.

Tonya L. Darner has been named the permanent CEO of UP Health System—Marquette, a Duke LifePoint hospital. Darner has served as the hospital’s interim CEO since early November and COO since 2021.

Edward T. Hubel, FACHE, to president, Baptist Medical Center Clay, Jacksonville, Fla., from interim president.

Nicole Jordan-Martin, FACHE, the executive director/CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals/Community Care, has been named one of the 25 recipients of the prestigious 2023 Empire Whole Health Heroes Awards.

Terika R. Richardson, FACHE, to senior executive vice president/COO, CommonSpirit Health, Chicago, from COO, Ardent Health Services, Nashville, Tenn.

“There seems to be a proliferation of AI across every industry,” says Shane Thielman, FACHE, corporate senior vice president/CIO, Scripps Health, which has launched several AI initiatives recently. “But healthcare is different. You need to have corridors for testing with safeguards in place. And things are moving so fast” that some health systems aren’t planning properly.

Stephen Demers, Vedner Guerrier, Joseph Stuczynski and Felicia Turnley, FACHE, have moved into new roles within the organization.

Henry Capote has been named CFO of HCA Florida Highlands Hospital, Sebring, Fla. Capote holds over 20 years of experience in healthcare finance.

Northern Westchester Hospital, led by Derek Anderson, FACHE, is the first hospital in the world to be awarded the prestigious Planetree Person-Centered Care Gold Certification with Distinction by Planetree International for the sixth consecutive time.

Kenneth Sturtz, FACHE, was appointed chief information and administrative officer, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute LLC, Fort Meyers, Fla.

Paul G. VerValin, FACHE, FACMPE, was named president, Guthrie Corning (N.Y.) Hospital. VerValin has a total of 20 years with Guthrie.

Carolyn P. Caldwell, FACHE, president/CEO, Dignity Health-St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach, Calif., and an ACHE Governor, participated in a panel discussion on elevating the importance of belonging for all. “For those of you to know anything about healthcare: we like being together. And so COVID was very challenging. What we found out is that because we had to create a remote working environment, we were able to add flexibility - someone needs to take care of a family member but not have to take an entire week off—we were able to accommodate our employees.”

Airica Steed, EdD, RN, FACHE, said, “This new helipad is like MetroHealth itself: The best place to land in an emergency.”

Michael Labrador was named COO of Heart Hospital of Austin (Texas), from vice president of operations and ethics and compliance officer, HCA Florida Englewood Hospital.

David Whitmer, FACHE, vice president for federal operations at DSS, recently participated in the FORUM Keeping IT Brief podcast interview.

Christina Mathis has been named CEO for Medical City Frisco, a campus of Medical City Plano, Texas.

Marcy Doderer, FACHE, Arkansas Children’s president/CEO, said, “By creating this center, we are accelerating a healthier future for the children of Arkansas. The brilliant capacity of the team already on the ground and those we will recruit will create a better today and healthier tomorrow for the unbelievable number of children who suffer in the opioid crisis’ wake.”

Anna Michelle Brandt has joined University Hospital in Newark, N.J., as COO.

Christopher R. Bjornberg, FACHE, has been named as the new CEO of Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District, Brawley, Calif.

Gay Landstrom, PhD, RN, FACHE, CNO, Trinity Health, Livonia, Mich., said the redesign-care model that was piloted last year is now live at roughly 40 sites. “We realized that we needed to create teams,” she said. “This is a fundamental change to how we [deliver] patient care.”

Jorge Garcia, PharmD, FACHE, assistant vice president of system oncology and infusion pharmacy services, Baptist Health South Florida, spoke about his panel on ambulatory drug infusion that was featured at the recent Institute for Value-Based Medicine.

Wes Marsh, FACHE, to administrator, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida Health, Jacksonville, Fla., from operations manager, Department of Neurosurgery.

Christina Mathis, will take the reins as CEO beginning Nov. 13. She previously worked as COO for Medical City Plano.

Marco A. Lozano, FACHE, to COO, Laredo (Texas) Medical Center, from assistant CEO.

Kyle D. Campbell, FACHE, to COO for Enterprise Clinic Operations, WellMed Medical Management Inc., San Antonio, from senior vice president for Enterprise Clinic Integrations.

Josh Wymer, FACHE, RN-BC, NEA-BC, was among the more than 180,000 who joined active duty in the year after the attacks. He dropped out of nursing school and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The terrorist attacks had served as a catalyst that launched his military career and solidified his commitment to service.

Thomas McKinney, FACHE, to CEO, Baptist Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, from market president, Christus Santa Rosa Hospital, in San Marcos, Texas.

Carla LaFever to president, Aurora Medical Center-Grafton (Wis.), from vice president, Operations.

Rose Dunn, FACHE, FHFMA, RHIA, past president of AHIMA, writes about the electronic health information export requirement that goes into effect Dec. 31.

Craig Cordola, FACHE, to management board member for the globally operating care delivery segment, Fresenius Medical Care, Waltham, Mass., from executive vice president, Ascension Capital, St. Louis.

Edison Bond Jr., to chief patient experience officer, St. John's Episcopal Hospital, Far Rockaway, N.Y., from director of patient relations, Baystate Health, Springfield, Mass. Bond has been a member of ACHE since 1994.

Elizabeth J. Mahon, FACHE, to healthcare advisor, Kassouf, from program director, Kindred Healthcare.

Abha Agrawal, MD FACEP, FACHE, to president/CEO, Lawrence (Mass.) General Hospital, from CMO, Humboldt Park Health, Chicago.

David Sides, FACHE, president/CEO, NextGen Healthcare, in this podcast gives an overview of how AI is being used in healthcare.