The West Virginia University Health System will be seeing a few changes in leadership as it heads into the new year.
Albert L. Wright Jr., president and CEO of WVU Health System, WVU Medicine and WVU Hospitals, shared the news with staff in a letter Friday. Wright said the new appointments in senior leadership come as the health system continues to grow, evolve and prosper. He believes the changes will keep the system on an upward trajectory.
“First, I am very excited to announce that Dr. David Hess has agreed to focus his full-time attention on Uniontown Hospital as its president and CEO,” Wright wrote. “He is a remarkably talented leader and kind person and I am grateful that he is willing to focus his talent, energy and enthusiasm, fulltime beginning in January, at Uniontown Hospital.”
Wright wrote that Hess has already started to make the same sizable impact in Uniontown that he did at Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Wheeling, where he served as president and CEO since 2016.
With Hess’ departure from Reynolds Memorial, Doug Harrison will become the president and CEO of both Wheeling Hospital and Reynolds Memorial.
Wright said the dual appointment of Harrison will give the system an opportunity to align those two hospitals more closely under one leadership structure and coordinate their day-to-day operations in a more deliberate manner. Tony Martinelli will continue to serve as the chief operating officer and senior on-site executive at Reynolds Memorial to support Harrison.
Louis Roe has also been appointed to a permanent position as president and CEO of Braxton County Memorial Hospital and Summersville Regional Medical Center after stepping up to serve as interim CEO of the two hospitals this past July.
According to Wright, Roe “has done a great job providing critical leadership at each institution, especially during the thick of the summertime COVID surge.” He went to say that Roe is a “highly skilled and talented hospital leader who will continue to do great things for Braxton and Summersville.”
In his letter, Wright also shared that Michael Grace, who currently serves as the health system’s chief administrative officer, will also serve as the president of J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital beginning in January.
“This will allow me to focus on my role as CEO of the health system,” Wright said. “As the health system continues to grow, I want to ensure we have a full-time hospital president at Ruby.”
Grace will be supported operationally by Dr. Ron Pellegrino, who will continue to serve as COO and Amy Bush, who will continue to serve as COO of WVU Medicine Children’s, according to Wright.
The final part of Wright’s announcement was that Jessica Alsop, who is the health system’s current vice president and general counsel, will become its chief legal officer. According to Wright, this is a more contemporary title that more accurately reflects her scope of duties, responsibilities and authority across the health system.
“This change reflects both her talents and the importance she and her team have to the organization,” Wright said.
