UPMC Horizon appoints new president

Farrell and Greenville, PA — Joel P. Yuhas, FACHE, has been appointed president of UPMC Horizon, effective April 9.

A native of northeastern Ohio, Mr. Yuhas brings to UPMC Horizon more than 15 years of hospital and business development experience in urban, community, and rural hospitals. He recently served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of St. Mary Medical Center, a 549-bed academic medical center located in Long Beach, California, affiliated with Harbor/UCLA School of Medicine. Prior to his position at St. Mary Medical Center, Mr. Yuhas was chief operating officer for Tenet Healthcare Corporation, with assignments at Garfield Medical Center in Los Angeles and The Graduate Hospital of Philadelphia.

Mr. Yuhas began his career at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., as administrator of operations. He earned an undergraduate and a master’s degree in business administration from Cleveland State University, is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and was recognized as an ACHE Early Careerist.

In discussing his vision for UPMC Horizon, Mr. Yuhas stated, “I am looking forward to helping the communities of Mercer County develop and improve access to high quality health care services close to home, while benefiting from the strategic relationship with UPMC that provides access to clinical research and technology often unavailable in communities our size.”

Mr. Yuhas replaces Dean W. Eckenrode, who retired from UPMC Horizon on Jan. 1. Neil Todhunter, president of UPMC Northwest in Venango County, has been serving as interim president since Mr. Eckenrode’s retirement.

Contact: Erin Palko, public relations manager, 724-589-8107