PeaceHealth welcomes new Chief Administrative Officer at Peace Harbor

FLORENCE, Ore. – PeaceHealth is pleased to welcome Jason Hawkins as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center. His first day will be Oct. 30, allowing for a smooth transition period as current CAO Rick Yecny prepares to retire later this year.

Hawkins will provide operational and financial leadership to ensure the hospital remains vibrant and responsive to the needs of the communities it serves. He will forge strong relationships with board members, providers, leaders, caregivers and the community at large, while also ensuring that clinical support services are coordinated across staff, functions and activities to improve patient care and clinical outcomes. Overall, Hawkins will lead the operations and maintain accountability for the administration and management of providing efficient, high-quality, patient/family-centered care.

“It is with great pleasure and excitement that I bring my almost 30 years of work and life experience to Peace Harbor,” says Hawkins, who has proven and diverse experience in the healthcare industry. “It is my hope and desire that these experiences – including long-range vision planning and recruitment of physicians and leaders – will be assets that will serve the Florence community. I especially look forward to continuing Peace Harbor’s successful fiscal performance and quality ratings.”

Most recently, Hawkins served as Chief Executive Officer for Fulton County Medical Center in McConnellsburg, Pa. In this role, he was responsible for overall planning and operations for hospital facility and physician services, physician recruitment, board/medical staff relations, strategic planning, development of financial and quality improvement plans, and leadership development.

Hawkins received a bachelor of accounting from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa., and a master of business administration from Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pa. He is a member of the National Rural Health Congress and AHA Governing Council for Rural Hospitals, and serves as treasurer of the PA Mountains Healthcare Alliance and Trustee of CHART (Risk Retention Group).

On joining the Florence community, Hawkins says: “I am excited about moving to the Pacific Northwest; as an outdoor enthusiast, I enjoy trail hiking with my wife, DeAnn, as well as boating and fishing. DeAnn and I are especially excited about experiencing all the great coastal amenities Florence offers.”

PeaceHealth also extends its sincere gratitude to retiring CAO Rick Yecny, who has been a driving force both at Peace Harbor as well as in the Florence community. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude for Rick and his tireless dedication to serving as Peace Harbor’s CAO,” says Rand O’Leary, Chief Executive of the PeaceHealth Oregon network. “Thank you for your compassionate leadership and commitment to PeaceHealth and our Mission.”

About PeaceHealth: Based in Vancouver, Wash., PeaceHealth is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center has been recognized for exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. Since opening its doors in 1989, Peace Harbor has provided a level of patient care in advanced imaging and technology that surpasses most other rural facilities. Visit us online at PeaceHealth.org.

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