Jill Owens, MD, will step down as president of Olean, N.Y.-based Upper Allegheny Health System to return to private medical practice, The Bradford Era reports.
Dr. Owens has led the health system, which is the parent company to Bradford (Pa.) Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital, as president since September 2022 after fulfilling the role on an interim basis for three months.
The precise date of Dr. Owens' transition is not yet clear. The system is launching a national search for her replacement, and Dr. Owens will return to private medical practice once a new president has been named.
"When I was asked to step up and take on this role, I never imagined the challenges that we would face. Healthcare was in crisis and our two hospitals were struggling like most in the industry were," Dr. Owens told the local news outlet. "With the new management team now in place and over 1,300 caring and compassionate individuals throughout the organization, UAHS is destined for future success. It's time to hand off the baton to a seasoned healthcare leader who can take us to the next level of growth."
Dr. Owens is a lifelong resident of the Bradford community and has operated Bradford Family Medicine, a private family practice, since 2000. Before her time as president and interim president, Dr. Owens was CMO of UAHS and medical director for its physician networks.
UAHS was formed in 2009 as the system overseeing the two community hospitals in New York and Pennsylvania. The system partnered with Kaleida Health in Buffalo, N.Y., in 2016.