Roles assigned to two long-time WVU Medicine leaders

One long-time WVU Medicine leader is removing “interim” from his title and another is stepping into a new role.

Doug Mitchell, who has 26 years of leadership experience in clinical nursing services, has been named vice president and chief nursing officer at WVU Medicine-Ruby Memorial Hospital, after serving in an interim role since November 2015.

Melissa Martin is the new associate vice president at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, after serving in a variety of leadership roles within the organization, mainly in Health Information Management (HIM). She has worked at WVU Medicine for 26 years.

“Doug and Melissa each have years of experience within the institution, which gives them an intimate knowledge of our values and vision, and the challenges we face short-term and long-term,” said Albert L. Wright, Jr., president and CEO, WVU Medicine-WVU Hospitals.

“They have both been crucial in helping us elevate the level of care we provide to patients in the region and will play key roles in helping us maintain that level as we continue to expand our facilities and workforce,” Wright continued.

Mitchell previously served as administrator of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at Chestnut Ridge Center. He began his career at Chestnut Ridge Center 28 years ago and has held various leadership roles there. He was also a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve Nurse Corps.

Mitchell will oversee the largest workforce – more than 1,500 nurses – employed by Ruby Memorial Hospital, the state’s only hospital to earn Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Ruby has attained Magnet status, which recognizes nursing excellence, three times since 2005. Fewer than 400 of the nearly 6,000 hospitals in the U.S. have received Magnet designation.

Mitchell succeeds Dottie Oakes, who retired in 2015.

Martin’s most recent role was associate vice president of privacy and enterprise information management, and chief privacy officer of HIM for the West Virginia University Health System.

In her new role, she will oversee and lead clinical operations and outreach efforts for the Institute.

The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute will be headquartered in the new $200 million, 10-story tower, which is being built on WVU Medicine’s main campus in Morgantown; it is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2017.

The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute will be home to WVU Medicine’s statewide efforts in cardiovascular quality and research, clinical education, outreach, and program development.

Martin, who first joined WVU Medicine in 1990, assumed the role of president and chair of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) in January. In this role, she represents more than 100,000 members. She was formerly on the AHIMA board of directors and was a past president and distinguished member of the West Virginia HIMA.

Martin is currently pursuing a Master of Legal Studies (MLS) at WVU. She will graduate this year.