Albert Wright named president and CEO of West Virginia University Medicine, and other moves

Albert Wright has been promoted to president and CEO of West Virginia University Medicine. He replaces Dr. Christopher Colenda, who retired in August.

Wright, 44, was most recently COO of WVU Medicine. He joined WVU in August 2014 as CEO of the system's flagship hospital, West Virginia University Hospital in Morgantown.

Before joining WVU, he was VP of operations for five years at UPMC Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh. He also was VP of operations at Ohio Health's Dublin Methodist Hospital.

John Kerndl has been named CFO of Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, Mich., effective Dec. 12. He replaces John Keuten, who retired in July.

Since 2012, Kerndl has served as senior VP and CFO of hospital operations at LifePoint Health based in Brentwood, Tenn. He joined LifePoint in 2010 as CFO of a division with 11 hospitals in four states.

Before LifePoint, he was CFO from 2007 to 2010 of three Arizona hospitals part of Vanguard Health Systems. He has also served as assistant CEO and CFO for Community Health Systems facilities in Illinois.

Teri Sholder has been named senior VP and chief quality officer of BayCare Health System in Clearwater, Fla. She replaces Dr. Charles DeShazer, who left to serve as VP and executive medical director of clinical services at Highmark Health, based in Pittsburgh.

Sholder has been chief quality officer at Kettering Health Network in Dayton, Ohio, since 2012. She was with the system for nine years, also serving as director of quality. During her tenure, she led care delivery strategy for the system's eight hospitals and 120 outpatient facilities.

LaCrystal Gordon has been promoted to chief nursing officer of St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind. She replaces Cheryl Rieves, who left in October 2015 to serve as CNO at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain, Ohio.

Gordon, 33, was most recently assistant chief nursing officer since April 2015 at St. Joseph. Prior to that, she served as the director of patient experience and nurse manager for the medical, surgical and renal units at Lutheran Hospital, also in Fort Wayne.

Amy King has been named senior VP and chief people officer of Centura Health in Centennial, Colo., as of Jan. 3.

King, 40, will lead human resources for the system, which has approximately 21,000 employees. The position has been vacant for two years, during which Tom Gessel, CEO of Centura's Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, Colo., provided leadership support for the HR team.

Most recently, King was vice chancellor of human resources for five years at the University of Denver. She was with the university for 16 years and held other leadership roles.

Carlton Ulmer has been named president and CEO of West Florida Hospital in Pensacola, an HCA facility, effective Jan. 1. He replaces Brian Baumgardner, who is leaving to become CEO of HCA's LewisGale Regional Health System in Salem, Va.

Ulmer most recently was CEO of HCA's Gulf Coast Regional Medical Center in Panama City, Fla. He previously served as COO of Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome, Ga., and COO of Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.