MED MOVES: Medical City, First Health of Carolinas announce new leaders

Jay deVenny

Medical City Children’s gets new CEO

Jay deVenny has been named chief executive officer for Medical City Children’s Hospital and Medical City Women’s Hospital Dallas.

He has served as chief development officer of Medical City Dallas since October 2016. He previously served as the vice president of business development and the assistant vice president of neuroscience, oncology and orthopedic services.

He’s credited with a host of development initiatives at the children’s hospital, including a congenital heart program and pediatric oncology and orthopedic programs.

“Jay has a proven track record of strategic leadership that helped ensure our hospitals are the destination of choice for women and children,” Chris Mowan, CEO at Medical City Dallas, said in a statement announcing the news. “I am confident that Jay will lead Medical City Children’s Hospital and Medical City Women’s Hospital Dallas to the next level of healthcare excellence.”

Before joining Medical City Healthcare, deVenny held several leadership roles in the Texas healthcare industry.

Christy Land

FirstHealth of the Carolinas names new head of southern region

Christy Land has been named president of First Health of the Carolinas’ southern region.

Land has also been named the administrator of FirstHealth’s Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond. She’ll start her new role on Feb. 21, FirstHealth said in a news release.

Land’s commitment to MRH-Richmond led to her selection among a host of candidates, said Jonathan Davis, FirstHealth’s chief operating officer.

“We are proud of Christy’s many successes at MRH-Richmond over the years and look forward to her continued contributions in the new role,” Davis said.

Land possesses 24 years of experience in the healthcare field and has held a number of leadership roles. She currently serves as administrative director of clinical performance at MRH-Richmond. She’s responsible for quality, patient safety and emergency management. Land previously served as clinical director of the hospital’s intensive care unit.

She has years of experience in nursing, working in critical care, the emergency department and cardiac cath lab.

Todd Forkel

Altru Health System selects new CEO

Todd Forkel has been selected as CEO of Altru Health System in North Dakota. He’ll assume the new post on Feb. 28.

Karen Thingelstad, chair of Altru’s board of directors, said Forkel’s “experience and leadership style make him the perfect leader for Altru.”

“He is a humble servant leader and a visionary who will lead Altru’s path to growth and innovation for generations to come,” she said in a statement.

Forkel brings over 24 years of leadership experience in healthcare. Most recently he served as CEO of Avera St. Luke’s and Avera St. Mary’s Region since 2011. He has managed two regions of a regional faith-based, nonprofit health system in South Dakota, which includes six hospitals and numerous clinics and physicians groups.

“I am excited and honored to be named as Altru Health System’s next CEO,” Forkel said in a statement.

“Altru’s stated vision is to deliver world-class care for those we serve," he said. "That level of commitment and high standard inspires me. I cannot wait to journey with the 3,600 Altru teammates in the continuation of making that dream a reality.”

Michelle Bookout

Sunrise Hospital gets new chief nursing officer

Michelle Bookout has been named chief nursing officer for Sunrise Hospital/Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas, Nev.

The two hospitals are part of HCA Healthcare and share the same campus near the Las Vegas Strip. Bookout previously served as chief nursing officer at MountainView Hospital, another HCA Healthcare facility in Las Vegas.

Bookout brings more than 25 years of leadership experience to Sunrise, the system said in a news release.

She previously served as chief nursing officer at Mercy Hospital, another HCA Healthcare facility in Miami, Fla. She also held numerous leadership roles at Loyola University Medical Center.

Kyle Wailes

Wellvana names new CEO

Kyle Wailes has taken over as chief executive officer of Wellvana, a value-based care company in Nashville, Tenn.

Wailes previously served as chief financial officer for SmileDirectClub Inc.

“I made the decision to come to Wellvana to help solve real problems in the healthcare system. Until we can align convenience, outcomes, access, and cost for patients, the healthcare industry is missing a massive opportunity for care transformation – and Wellvana does exactly that,” Wailes said in a news release.

The company currently operates in six states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, and Texas. Wellvana is planning to expand to three additional states in 2022.

Before joining SmileDirectClub, Wailes worked at Intermedix, a provider of technology-enabled services for health care providers. He served as executive vice president of physician services and chief financial officer.