Jane Read leaves PVH for Petaluma Health Center

Jane Read, the top administrator at Petaluma Valley Hospital is leaving to become the chief operating officer of the Petaluma Health Center, according to a memo from St. Joseph Health, which runs the hospital.

A registered nurse for 36 years, Read spent many years in a clinical leadership position at a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. She also taught nursing and worked as a health care consultant for Ernst & Young.

She also worked as vice president of business development for Versant Advantage, a non-profit division of Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, which created a residency program for registered nurses. Before that, Read worked for seven years as an assistant administrator and the chief nursing officer at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, Illinois.

She moved to Sonoma County in 2009 to become vice president of operations at St. Joseph, in charge of Petaluma Valley Hospital, which the Catholic healthcare company has operated for more than 20 years. Read’s last day at the hospital will be Friday.

In the memo, Todd Salnas, president of St. Joseph Health - Sonoma County, said that Read’s new role with the health center will forge stronger ties between two of the largest healthcare providers in Petaluma.

“I can tell you that I am really going to miss her leadership and companionship,” Salnas wrote. “Our ministry and PVH have grown stronger over the past years under Jane’s leadership. While I am saddened that Jane will be leaving St. Joseph Health, I am happy for her and know she will serve the PHC well. I look forward to an even stronger partnership between SJH and the PHC in the future.”

The turnover at the top spot comes at a time of transition for the hospital. St. Joseph’s lease for PVH expired last year, and talks between the company and the Petaluma Health Care District, which owns the facility, fell apart. The district has identified southern California-based Paladin Healthcare as its preferred future operator, but the sides have so far not reached a deal. Complicating the effort is the complex process of transferring electronic medical records.

Officials from St. Joseph and the district have said they would be willing to restart talks should the Paladin deal fall apart.

Tyler Hedden, chief operating officer for St. Joseph Health-Sonoma County, will be the interim acting administrator for PVH, Salnas said.