WVU Medicine has appointed Leslie K. Lawson, M.B.A., F.A.C.H.E., as the new president of WVU Medicine’s Braxton County Memorial Hospital and Summersville Regional Medical Center, effective May 1.
Lawson, an accomplished healthcare executive, most recently served as chief operating officer of WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals, where she oversaw hospital operations and strategic growth initiatives. She brings a wealth of expertise in hospital administration, physician practice management, financial stewardship, and clinical program development.
“We are thrilled to welcome Leslie K. Lawson as the new CEO at WVU Medicine Braxton County Memorial Hospital and WVU Medicine Summersville Regional Medical Center. She will be instrumental in helping to serve the healthcare needs of this region,” David F. Hess, M.D., president and CEO of WVU Medicine United Hospital Center and WVU Health System regional president of central West Virginia, said. “Leslie’s extensive background, with more than 34 years of leadership experience, will only continue to enhance the growth and development of WVU Medicine throughout the state.”
Before her tenure at Thomas Hospitals, Lawson played a key role in expanding the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, leading operations and regional outreach for one of the System’s largest service lines.
Under her leadership, the Institute grew its footprint across multiple states, enhanced patient care access, and strengthened its clinical programs. She also held several leadership positions at WVU Hospitals, where she was instrumental in service line development, physician recruitment, and operational improvements. Notably, she helped establish WVU’s telestroke network and advanced key programs in stroke, cancer, and cardiovascular care.
“I’m excited to join the outstanding teams at Summersville Regional Medical Center and Braxton County Memorial Hospital and continue to develop services to support those communities,” Lawson said. “I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with so many incredible caregivers at Thomas Hospitals as they truly have embraced their mission as a member of the WVU Health System.”
In recognition of her contributions to healthcare in West Virginia, Lawson was inducted into the West Virginia Health Care Hall of Fame earlier this year.
In her new role, Lawson will lead both hospitals in advancing patient care, expanding healthcare services, and strengthening community partnerships. The West Virginia University Health System, which operates under the brand WVU Medicine, is West Virginia’s largest health system and the state’s largest employer with more than 3,400 licensed beds, 4,600 providers, 35,000 employees, and $7 billion in total operating revenues. The Health System is comprised of 25 hospitals – including J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, an 880-bed academic medical center, and the 150-bed WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia.