Children’s National Hospital selects new CEO, and more: MED MOVES

Michelle Riley-Brown has been selected as the next president and chief executive officer of the Children’s National Hospital.

Michelle Riley-Brown

The Children’s National Board of Directors announced Riley-Brown’s appointment in late March. On July 1, she will succeed Kurt Newman, who is retiring after 11 years as president and CEO.

Riley-Brown possesses two decades of leadership in pediatric healthcare. Currently, she serves as executive vice president at Texas Children’s Hospital at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, where she serves as the president of two hospitals in the system. She’s also overseeing the construction and staffing of another hospital.

“I am honored by the opportunity to work among the very best care teams, researchers, leaders and board members,” Riley-Brown said in a statement.

“Children’s National has an incredible foundation of quality based on a 150-year plus history of excellence,” she added. “I look forward to building strong relationships within the community to deliver world class pediatric healthcare. I cannot wait to get started.”

Newman has spent nearly 40 years with Children’s National. He praised the board’s selection of Riley-Brown as his successor.

“The Board made an incredible choice,” Newman said in a statement. “I am impressed by her brilliant and thoughtful approach coupled with her empathy and passion for kids.”

Mark Sevco

Sutter Health appoints new COO

Mark Sevco has been named the senior vice president and chief operating officer of Sutter Health.

Sutter Health operates 23 hospitals and other sites of care in northern California. Sevco will assume his new role on June 5.

Sevco had been serving as the executive vice president of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He said he is looking forward to helping create “a connected patient, physician and caregiver experience.”

“Sutter has an impressive reputation providing high-quality care, and I am eager to collaborate across the organization to further improve access and inspire patients to live healthy lives and build stronger communities,” Sevco said in a statement.

At a panel discussion at the American Hospital Association Leadership Summit last summer, Sevco said the future of healthcare “is about the consumer.”

Warner Thomas, Sutter Health president and CEO, said in a statement that Sevco “exemplifies true leadership and has proven operational experience integrating and aligning care delivery models and teams across large health systems, and in both hospital and ambulatory settings.

“Mark will play a critical role in advancing our efforts to further integrate our organization and strengthen our relationships with physicians, so we can deliver better access, quality and an overall consumer-centric experience.”

Lara Khouri

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles elevates COO

Lara Khouri has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Khouri will work with clinical and administrative leaders to improve procedures and address patient care needs. She has been serving as CHLA’s chief strategy and transformation officer since December 2020, and has held other leadership posts in the organization.

"We have a unique opportunity to reimagine the way we deliver family-centered care to the Los Angeles community and beyond by developing the best practices of today and setting the gold standards of tomorrow," Khouri said in a statement.

"I am honored to collaborate with industry-leading doctors, nurses, researchers and partners to ensure we are providing access to high-quality, specialized and personalized care for every child, regardless of their background or circumstances," she added.

Ronald Place

Avera Health names CEO of flagship hospital

Ronald Place has been named regional president and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The hospital is the flagship medical center of Avera Health. Place succeeds David Flicek, who will move to the position of COO for Avera Health.

In his new role, Place will provide senior leadership for Avera McKennan, a 545-bed tertiary hospital, as well as the Avera on Louise Health Campus, Avera Behavioral Health Hospital, and more care sites in the region.

Place spent a long career in the military, retiring last year as a 3-star general. He was the Director (CEO) of Defense Health Agency in Washington, D.C., where he provided leadership to worldwide military medical programs for 9.6 million patients. He also held leadership roles at a number of Army medical centers.

“My time in the Army was an incredible opportunity to see what selfless leadership can look like,” Place said in a statement. “I believe in empowered mentorship to guide others to their greatest potential. Relationships are incredibly important; not only with our coworkers, families and friends, but with the communities we serve.”

Stephen Bowerman

Midland Health elevates leader to top spot

Stephen Bowerman has been named president and CEO of Midland Health in Texas.

Bowerman, who has worked at Midland since 2009, had been serving as president and chief operating officer. He succeeds Russell Meyers, who moves to a developmental role for the Midland Memorial Foundation.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to work alongside the great staff and physicians of Midland Health,” Bowerman said in a statement. "This is home for me, and I will continue to lead this organization towards advancing healthcare in Midland. With tremendous community support and an engaged board, Midland Health is a special organization and I’m humbled to serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer."

Bowerman has 24 years of experience in healthcare and is a native of West Texas.

“The board is grateful for the 20 years of service Mr. Meyers has dedicated to Midland Health and our community,” Devin Alsup, chairperson of Midland’s board of trustees, said in a statement. “Steve Bowerman is well-prepared to advance the mission of leading healthcare for greater Midland.”

Sebastian Strom

HCA Florida Largo Hospital gets new CEO

Sebastian Strom has been named chief executive officer of HCA Florida Largo Hospital.

Strom previously served as chief medical officer of HCA Healthcare West Florida Division since July 2021.

A native of Denmark, Strom previously worked with HCA Healthcare’s South Atlantic Division, where he served as CMO for 12 hospitals across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. He also served as a managing partner in a private physician group in St. Augustine and assistant chief of staff at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville.

Ravi Chari, president of HCA Healthcare West Florida Division, hailed Strom’s leadership.

“He is incredibly committed to our patients, our people and the mission of HCA Healthcare, and I am thrilled that he will take on this pivotal role at a hospital that provides tertiary services including transplant and advanced oncology to patients along Florida’s west coast and across the state,” Chari said in a statement.

Two new executives join Alignment Health

Tim Moorhead and Lisa Ferrari

Alignment Health, a Medicare Advantage company, announced that two new leaders have joined the organization.

The company has hired Tim Moorhead as senior vice president and regional president of North Carolina, Arizona and Texas, and Lisa Ferrari as senior vice president and regional president of Nevada and Northern California.

Moorhead previously served as SVP and president for Ascension Insurance. He also served at Humana for 17 years in a host of leadership positions.

Ferrari brings 30 years of healthcare industry experience to Alignment. She most recently served as the vice president of managed care for Rady Children’s Health.

Both will report to Dawn Maroney, president of markets for Alignment Health.

“Tim has a long-term, high-integrity track record of guiding large-scale businesses to deliver high-growth results and increase revenue,” Maroney said in a statement. “Lisa is a veteran health care executive with strong network management and operational experience in California, Nevada and Hawaii. We value their expertise and look forward to having them help steer our growth in our core markets.”