Tyler Hedden, CEO of Providence Sonoma County Hospital, is leaving Oregon healthcare leadership

According to Providence, formerly known as St. Joseph Health.

Hedden, who resigned in September, first joined the organization in 2017 and served as chief operating officer of two Sonoma County’s hospitals: Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and Petaluma Valley Hospital. In 2019 he was promoted to managing director of both hospitals.

In addition to the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and the Petaluma Valley Hospital, Providence-Northern California includes the Healdsburg Hospital, the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, and the St. Joseph Hospital and the Redwood Memorial Hospital, both in Humboldt County.

When Hedden resigned, he was only overseeing the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital as NorCal HealthConnect, a Providence subsidiary, took over the ownership and management of the Petaluma Valley Hospital and Healdsburg District Hospital – now known as Healdsburg Hospital, according to Providence.

Providence-Northern California’s regional chief operating officer, Frank Beirne, is provisional director of the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital until Hedden’s successor is named, according to Providence.

Hedden assumed the role of chief operating officer for PeaceHealth Oregon on October 4, the nonprofit Catholic health care system based in Vancouver, Washington, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. According to PeaceHealth, Hedden oversees PeaceHealth’s four Oregon hospitals, which are located in Cottage Grove, Eugene, Florence, and Springfield.

“Tyler has more than 20 years of progressive healthcare industry experience providing executive and operational leadership for acute care hospitals; He has spent 15 of his 20 years in Catholic health care facilities, ”said Todd Salnas, CEO of PeaceHealth Oregon. “His focus on clinical excellence, operational efficiency and experience, and community partnerships make him a great addition to our team.”

Salnas and Hedden’s careers have been intertwined over the years, with both previously sharing leadership roles in the Providence organization.

“After starting my career as a nursing assistant, I learned the importance of the frontline role of nurses in overall patient care and healing,” Hedden said in the PeaceHealth announcement. “I am genuinely committed to the caregiver, the patient, and the Catholic health care mission to improve access to quality, safe, and affordable care for all, especially those who are poor and at risk.”

Separately, Providence announced on November 29th that Laureen Driscoll, a Washington state health manager, would take over as Regional Chief Executive of Providence-Northern California on January 17th. Driscoll succeeds Kevin Klockenga, who retired in May after 13 years with the company.