Summa Health System on Monday named a senior vice president of hospital operations and site administrator for its Summa Wadsworth-Rittman and Summa Barberton hospitals.
Jason Niehaus, 38, of Boston Heights, had been on loan to Summa from the health system’s minority owner.
The new, permanent top executive position was created last month as part of Summa’s recent restructuring of its administration.
In the new role, Niehaus oversees day-to-day operations for the two hospitals that previously fell under the leadership of former President Tom DeBord.
The president position has been eliminated.
Niehaus also is responsible for pharmacy, rehabilitation services, diagnostics, facilities engineering, protective services, patient transport, dietary and environmental services for the health system.
“My focus will be ... to become a more efficient organization, to continue the journey in their quality and excellence and to respond to the needs of our community,” he said.
He had been working with Summa for the past year as part of the health system’s partnership with HealthSpan Partners, an auxiliary of Cincinnati-based Catholic Health Partners.
HealthSpan acquired a minority ownership stake in Summa late last year through a $250 million deal.
“The Summa leadership team has worked closely with Jason for approximately a year through our relationship with Health Span Partners,” Dr. Tom Malone, Summa’s chief operating officer, said in a news release. “He has an exceptional understanding of the health-care industry and of our vision for the future. He is a terrific addition to the Summa family, and I look forward to working with him as we reshape how care is delivered for the people that we serve.”
Niehaus said his previous experience working with Summa during the past year convinced him that he should join the health system.
“I think that being embedded into the organization gave me the opportunity to see what the system is all about, what its mission is, the direction it is taking as an organization,” he said. “I saw it as a tremendous opportunity.”
Niehaus joins Summa’s executive team at a time when the health system is undergoing a major overhaul to contend with changes within the medical industry.
Summa is closing Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital’s inpatient units later this year and converted St. Thomas Hospital’s emergency department into a primary-care practice this week
Before taking on his new role with Summa, Niehaus previously held multiple business administration positions at hospitals and other health-care facilities throughout Ohio and Kentucky.
He most recently served as market operation executive with HealthSpan Partners.
Niehaus served in administrative roles for Catholic Health Partners for eight years before joining Summa.
A Cincinnati native, Niehaus earned his bachelor’s degree in health-care administration from the College of Mount St. Joseph and his master of business administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/CherylPowellABJ.