Erik Wangsness Named President of Washington Adventist Hospital

Erik Wangsness, currently the president/chief executive officer of Jellico Community Hospital inTennessee, has been named the new president of Washington Adventist Hospital (WAH). He will officially begin his new role the week of September 22.

Wangsness joins WAH and Adventist HealthCare after serving for more than three years as the leader of Jellico, part of the Florida-based Adventist Health System. He replaces Joyce Newmyer, who in June was named a regional president and CEO with Adventist Health in Portland, Ore.

“Erik embodies the characteristics and values that we look for in an executive,” says Terry Forde, president and CEO of Adventist HealthCare. “Over the course of his career, he has successfully demonstrated a commitment to employee engagement, physician relationships, community partnerships and fundraising to help his organizations fulfill their missions. Those who have worked with Erik cite his very strong interpersonal skills and his commitment to excellence.”

Prior to his role at Jellico, Wangsness served for three years as director of business development for Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital in Illinois, and as executive director of the Littleton Hospital Foundation in Colorado from 2004 to 2008.

Wangsness received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Master’s in Health Care Administration from the University of Minnesota. During his time at Jellico, Wangsness served on numerous state health committees and local groups working to improve the health of the community. He and his wife, Kari, have four children: two in college, one in high school and one in middle school.