West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) officials announced today that Dawn M. Gideon has been appointed as Executive Vice President and Chief of Hospital Operations for the health system. Ms. Gideon has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of West Penn Hospital since April, 2008.

In her new role at West Penn Allegheny, Ms. Gideon will oversee the administration of all System hospitals, working closely with senior staff to guide the System’s hospitals in a manner that promotes clinical excellence, financial stability, and System integration.

“With over 25 years of diverse experience in both single-facility and multi-hospital settings, Ms. Gideon has proven executive leadership skills, particularly in operational performance management and organizational restructuring, said Christopher T. Olivia, MD, WPAHS President and Chief Executive Officer.

“We are very fortunate to have a healthcare executive of Ms. Gideon’s caliber to oversee the operations of our hospitals during this period of significant transformation of our organization.”

Before joining West Penn Allegheny Health System last year, Ms. Gideon was a Managing Director for the Huron Consulting Group, one of the nation’s largest healthcare performance improvement firms. Among her many achievements with Huron, she served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Restructuring Executive for Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center in New York, a $1.7 billion teaching organization consisting of multiple hospitals, long-term care facilities, a behavioral health network, and 300-plus residents in seven teaching programs.

Ms. Gideon is also quite familiar with components of West Penn Allegheny Health System. She started her career at the former Forbes Health System (FHS), rising rapidly through the ranks to serve as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director for Forbes Metropolitan Hospital and ultimately, Senior Vice President for Strategic Planning and Chief Operating Officer for FHS.

Concurrent with Ms. Gideon’s appointment, West Penn Allegheny has initiated recruitment efforts for successors to assume senior executive leadership responsibilities at West Penn Hospital, West Penn’s Forbes Regional Campus, and Allegheny General Hospital. To facilitate the integration of West Penn and Allegheny General, the System is recruiting for one president and CEO to provide senior executive leadership for both hospitals.

Ms. Gideon will continue to serve as President and CEO of West Penn Hospital and its Forbes Regional Campus in the interim.