Penn State Health has appointed Don McKenna as the president of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on a permanent basis.
McKenna had served as the president of Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers before taking on the role of interim president of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in July 2023.
As permanent president of Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Don will continue to focus on operational and financial management; building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders; optimizing patient experience; promoting a culture of safety; and working with teams to navigate the evolving health care environment. He will also work closely with Penn State College of Medicine leadership to support opportunities for expansion of the college’s educational and research initiatives across Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the broader Penn State Health system.
“In his brief tenure as interim president, Don has developed trusted relationships with department chairs, institute directors and other Penn State Health leaders, placed intense focus on patient experience and clinical excellence and demonstrated a collaborative approach to foster greater integration across our health system,” said Deborah Addo, Penn State Health president and chief operating officer. “His commitment to Penn State Health, our people, our values and our core missions is evident in all of his interactions, and we’re excited to bring his leadership to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on a permanent basis.”
McKenna joined Penn State Health in April 2020 when he became president of the then-under-construction Hampden Medical Center, a 300,000-square-foot, acute care hospital in Cumberland County. In the role, McKenna oversaw the start of hospital operations, including the onboarding of an initial workforce of approximately 350 full- and part-time clinical and support staff. The hospital opened in October 2021 and grew steadily under McKenna’s leadership.
He also presided over the integration of Holy Spirit Medical Center into Penn State Health following its acquisition from Geisinger in November 2020, at which point he served as president of both facilities. He led the hiring of the hospital’s leadership team, including a regional chief nursing officer for Hampden and Holy Spirit medical centers, and other leadership positions for the Hampden Township facility.
Prior to joining Penn State Health, McKenna was the president and chief executive officer of Jupiter Health in Florida, where he created a comprehensive stroke center with neuro-surgical and interventional services and developed an open-heart surgery program that included dedicated operative suites and a nursing unit. He also opened two new urgent care centers. McKenna managed more than $125 million in capital projects while with Jupiter Health.
