Penn State Health Named Interim Nursing Chief

Leslyn Williamson has been appointed to the role while continuing her duties as a hospital president.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Nursing Jobs

Penn State Health Named Interim Nursing Chief

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Penn State Health has selected Leslyn Williamson to serve as the system's interim chief nursing executive. She will balance this new responsibility with her current positions as president of Hampden Medical Center and Holy Spirit Medical Center.

Why it matters

The appointment consolidates nursing strategy leadership within a veteran hospital administrator who already oversees multiple facilities in the Pennsylvania-based health system.

Leslyn Williamson is now the interim chief nursing executive for a five-hospital system. She maintains her existing presidential roles at Hampden Medical Center and Holy Spirit Medical Center.

The players

Leslyn Williamson

She is the newly appointed interim chief nursing executive of Penn State Health who also leads two of its medical centers.

Penn State Health

This is a multi-hospital health system based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, that operates five facilities.

The details

Williamson will oversee the nursing strategy for the entire health system while maintaining her leadership duties at the two specific Pennsylvania medical centers. She joined Penn State Health in 2022 and has previously served as both regional chief operating officer and chief nursing officer.

Leslyn Williamson joined the organization in 2022.
She became president of the Hampden and Holy Spirit centers in October 2025.
The interim chief nursing executive appointment began on October 12, 2026.

Market Landscape

This appointment reflects the broader industry trend of health systems consolidating executive leadership to streamline strategic decision-making. By tasking a sitting president with system-wide nursing oversight, the organization is prioritizing operational continuity across its five regional hospitals.

Patients and staff at the Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers will continue to interact with Williamson as their facility president. The transition of nursing strategy oversight to her office may eventually influence system-wide nursing standards and clinical staffing procedures.

The takeaway

Healthcare systems increasingly rely on leaders with deep institutional knowledge to bridge the gap between clinical strategy and daily hospital operations. This dual-role approach allows for tighter alignment between executive nursing objectives and the specific needs of local hospital facilities.