Mount Carmel names new CEO, first Black woman to run a central Ohio hospital system

Samantha Hendrickson, Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
Mount Carmel Health System has named Tauana McDonald as its new chief executive officer, making her the first Black woman to head a hospital system in Central Ohio
Mount Carmel Health System has named Tauana McDonald as its new chief executive officer, making her the first Black woman to head a hospital system in Central Ohio

Mount Carmel Health System named Tauana McDonald as its new chief executive officer Thursday, making her the first Black woman to lead a major hospital system in Central Ohio.

McDonald will begin July 1, according to a press release, succeeding Lorraine Lutton, who announced her retirement last year after four years in the position.

McDonald first joined Trinity Health, Mount Carmel's parent company, in 2003. In 2017, she took on the role of chief administrative officer of the Columbus-based Mount Carmel, and in 2020, became president and chief operating officer of Mount Carmel's Grove City hospital amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The boards of both Mount Carmel and Trinity Health chose McDonald after a nationwide search that began in late 2023.

"I’m thrilled to begin this new role and continue partnering with our incredible colleagues, staff, and physicians in building on the momentum we’ve created here at Mount Carmel to advance our Mission,” McDonald said in a statement. “I’ve come to call Columbus home and am honored to serve the needs of the Central Ohio Community.”

McDonald has a bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University as well as a master’s degree in health service management and policy from the University of Michigan. She's a fellow of the American College of Healthcare executives and serves on several boards, including as president of The Ohio State University and Mount Carmel Alliance board and the Mid-Ohio Food Collective.

“Tauana is a dynamic leader well-poised to lead Mount Carmel into the next chapters of success,” said Ben Carter, Trinity Health's Trinity Health’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Mount Carmel currently employs around 2,300 physicians and 9,000 staff in their four hospitals around Columbus. That number will grow once construction of a new hospital in Dublin is completed.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mount Carmel hires McDonald, first Black woman as local hospital CEO