MED MOVES: Intermountain Healthcare names interim CEO, and more

With Intermountain Healthcare president and CEO Marc Harrison announcing plans to step away, the health system has selected an interim leader while searching for Harrison’s replacement.

Lydia Jumonville

Lydia Jumonville has been named the interim president and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, based in Utah. She took the position Aug. 22.

Jumonville served as CEO of SCL Health from 2017 through early 2022, when Intermountain completed the merger with SCL Health. With the merger, Intermountain now operates healthcare facilities in seven states, including 33 hospitals.

After the merger, Jumonville has continued to play a key role with the integration of the two organizations, Intermountain said in a news release. Before becoming SCL Health’s chief executive, Jumonville served as the system’s executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Intermountain’s board of trustees plans to conduct a national search for a permanent CEO and hopes to select a new leader by the fall of 2022.

Mike Leavitt, the chair of Intermountain’s board of trustees and the former governor of Utah, said the organization’s mission “remains constant.”

“At Intermountain, we have established a best-in-class leadership team, a sound strategic path forward and we remain steadfast in our commitment to helping people live the healthiest lives possible,” Leavitt said in a news release.

Before joining SCL Health, Jumonville spent 10 years as the chief financial officer at Baylor Health Care System in Dallas.

Michele Volpe

University of Pa. Health System selects COO

Michele Volpe has been named the University of Pennsylvania Health System’s new chief operating officer.

Volpe takes the new role Sept. 1. She is succeeding Philip Okala, who is about to begin a new role as City of Hope’s system president.

Volpe spent 23 years as chief executive officer of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. She will now oversee Penn Medicine’s six hospitals, with each hospital CEO reporting to her. The system’s hospitals are based in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs.

“This is the most exciting time in Penn Medicine’s long history, and I am honored to begin this new work with my colleagues across the health system to advance our position as the place that patients from across our region – and far beyond – can always rely on,” Volpe said.

Penn Medicine said in a news release that Volpe managed several key projects during her time as CEO of Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, including the construction of the Pavilion for Advanced Care, the relocation of a trauma center and the opening of a new outpatient facility.

Kevin B. Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, said the new role will allow Volpe to have a broader leadership role over the entire organization.

“Michele is among the very best leaders working in healthcare today, and she is a deeply experienced and trusted strategist and partner who has continuously proven her skills at shaping new models and facilities that allow us to deliver the very best care to our patients,” Mahoney said in a statement.

Chuck Hall

HCA Healthcare National Group president is retiring

Chuck Hall, president of HCA Healthcare’s National Group, plans to retire at the end of the year.

Hall leads HCA Healthcare’s operations at 96 hospitals across 13 states. He has spent 36 years with the organization.

HCA Healthcare is searching for a replacement for Hall.

Hall played a key role in helping the company become the largest provider of trauma care and burn services in the country, HCA Healthcare said in a news release. He also helped expand HCA’s graduate medical education program, the company said.

“Chuck’s career and expertise as an operator are unmatched, and his influence on our company extends well beyond hospital operations,” Sam Hazen, HCA Healthcare’s chief executive officer, said in a news release.

“His leadership during many natural disasters, as well as his focus on better care processes and technology, helped ensure the safety and care of our colleagues and patients,” Hazen said. “We wish him all the best in retirement.”

Hall became HCA’s National Group president in 2006. He first joined HCA in 1987, initially serving as chief operating officer at Sam Houston Memorial Hospital in Houston, Texas.

Keisha Mullings-Smith

University of Chicago Medicine hires chief experience officer

Keisha Mullings-Smith has been named the University of Chicago Medicine’s new vice president and chief experience officer.

Mullings-Smith will take the post starting Oct. 17. Most recently, she worked at Johns Hopkins Medicine, where she served as executive director of patient experience and led patient experience strategy across 52 ambulatory care sites.

She has nearly two decades of experience in healthcare operations and strategic planning, UChicago Medicine said. Mullings-Smith has helped develop patient experience improvement platforms, and has worked in hospital and clinic settings.

Before joining Johns Hopkins, Mullings-Smith worked at Press Ganey/Healthstream Inc., advising healthcare systems on operational planning and strategic improvement. She also held executive positions leading patient experience at Wellstar Health System in Atlanta, as well as with The George Washington University Hospital and George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates.

Krista Curell, UChicago Medicine’s executive vice president and chief integration & transformation officer, said in a statement that Mullings-Smith will be “a visible role model for our mission as well as an advocate for the 'voice of the patient' across the enterprise.’”

“This will involve developing strategic initiatives that promote culturally responsive service excellence, strengthen engagement with patients and families, and aim to reduce health disparities,” Curell said.

Kenny Boyd

Baptist Health of Paducah gets new president

Kenny Boyd has been named president of Baptist Health Paducah in Paducah, Ky.

A Kentucky native, Boyd will take over as president of the hospital on Oct. 10. He succeeds Matt Bailey, who has served as interim president since November 2021. Bailey will remain onboard until Oct. 28 to ensure a smooth transition, the organization said in a news release.

“I look forward to returning to my home state, becoming involved in the Paducah community and learning about the healthcare needs of the region,” Boyd said in a statement.

Most recently, Boyd, who is 48, served as chief operating officer at Maury Regional Health, a three-hospital system in Columbia, Tennessee.

Roy Riley, chairman of Baptist Health Paducah’s board of directors, called Boyd “a big-picture thinker with an eye for details.”

"He has a proven track record in growing a hospital and optimizing start-up and established operations,” Riley said in a statement. “In addition, he excels at team development and collaboration, making him a perfect fit for Baptist Health Paducah."

Boyd previously served as president and CEO of McDonough District Hospital in Malcomb, Ill.; CEO of Girard Medical Center in Girard, Kansas; and CEO of Dickenson Community Hospital in Clintwood, Va.

Bailey took the role as interim president after former Baptist Health Paducah President Chris Roty assumed a leadership position at Baptist Health Lexington.

Joanna Conley

Doctors Hospital of Augusta appoints CEO

Joanna Conley has been named the new chief executive officer of Doctors Hospital of Augusta in Georgia.

She began her new role on Aug. 15. She has 20 years of healthcare experience, and joins Doctors Hospital after serving as CEO of HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., where she led the hospital for more than five years.

Conley spent 13 years with HCA Healthcare, including more than four years as CEO of HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital in Kissimmee, Fla., and leadership roles at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital in Kissimmee. Doctors Hospital is a part of HCA Healthcare.

“I am honored to serve as the next CEO of Doctors Hospital of Augusta,” said Conley. “I look forward to working alongside the excellent physicians and colleagues at the hospital to provide high-quality care to the community. Doctors Hospital has a history of exceptional service and quality, and I look forward to building on the strengths of the hospital and continuing to grow to meet the health care needs of the CSRA.”

At TriStar Southern Hills, the medical center improved its safety score with The Leapfrog Group from a “B” to an “A,” holding that high mark for 10 consecutive reporting periods, the hospital said.