Allegheny Health Network has named its Chief Operating Officer James Benedict as president of the network.
Benedict joined AHN as its executive vice president and COO in 2017. He “was one of the chief architects of the network’s successful operational turnaround and its nearly $2 billion capital investment and market expansion strategy,” AHN said in a statement.
Cynthia Hundorfean, who previously served as president and CEO of Allegheny Health Network, has moved to a new role as Highmark Health’s chief living health development officer.
AHN is the Western Pennsylvania provider arm of Pittsburgh-based health care system Highmark Health. Highmark offers Blues-branded health insurance in four states.
The expansion strategy has resulted in a larger clinical footprint for the network, including the construction of AHN Wexford Hospital and four neighborhood hospitals; six cancer centers; multiple multispecialty health and wellness pavilions and other outpatient facilities; and investments in existing facilities.
“Jim is an exceptionally talented, highly accomplished health care leader with a proven track record of successfully managing complex organizations, building high-performing teams, and helping institutions develop and execute winning strategies to fulfill their mission,” said Dr. Bruce Meyer, executive vice president and Western Pennsylvania market president for Highmark Health, a newly created position.
In July 2020, Benedict moved to parent company Highmark Health as executive vice president of living health partnerships and operations, where he steered enterprise efforts to redesign the health care delivery system and help develop the organization’s “Living Health” model. During that time, he also was a driver of Highmark Health’s and AHN’s covid-19 pandemic response strategy, officials said.
Benedict returned to his AHN COO role in late 2022. In his new capacity as AHN president, he will continue to report to Meyer.
Benedict came to AHN in 2017 from TeamHealth, where he served as the executive vice president of anesthesia for U.S. operations. Previously, he held various roles at the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland.
“It is an incredible honor and privilege to lead AHN and be part of this unique journey with Highmark Health to create a more effective, patient-centric and economically sustainable health and wellness model for the country,” Benedict said. “The challenges we face in our industry have been an inspiration to all of us who have spent the last several years building AHN’s foundation, improving the health experiences of our patients and making Western Pennsylvania a healthier place to live.”
Stephanie Ritenbaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Stephanie at sritenbaugh@triblive.com.