Maryjane Wurth, the American Hospital Association's chief operating officer, will retire next year, the hospital lobbying group announced Thursday.
Wurth will be replaced by Michelle Hood, the chief executive at Northern Light Health in Brewer, Maine who is also on the AHA's board of trustees.
Over her four-year tenure at the AHA, Wurth oversaw the creation of the AHA Center for Health Innovation and revamped revamped the business model for the association's for-profit subsidiary, the AHA said.
"Maryjane is one of the most respected healthcare executives in our field," AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack said in prepared remarks. "She has earned the trust and admiration from the AHA Board as well as her colleagues at the AHA and state hospital associations."
Prior to the AHA, Wurth ran the Illinois Health and Hospital Association. She was also the chief operating officer of the Healthcare Association of New York State.
Hood will join the AHA in Chicago next year and overlap with Wurth to smooth the transition. Prior to joining Norther Light Health, Hood was chief executive of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System's Montana region as well as president and CEO of its flagship hospital St. Vincent Healthcare.
