McMinnville, TN  (June 24, 2013) – Joseph Mazzo, RN, BSN, MA, CEN, has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO) for River Park Hospital (RPH), according to Tim McGill, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 24.  RPH is a part of the Capella-Saint Thomas system of hospitals, a joint venture between Capella Healthcare and Saint Thomas Health. This is a new position for the McMinnville hospital.

“We are very pleased that Joe is joining us,” said McGill. “He’s a proven leader with significant success in building strong teams that deliver great care in fast-paced environments. He has extensive experience in multiple, high volume Emergency Departments and Trauma Centers. His leadership experiences during the past eight years have uniquely qualified him for this new position we’ve created to assist us in our continued focus on quality care, patient safety and the overall patient experience.”

Mazzo comes to RPH from Centennial Medical Center, a 657-bed hospital in Nashville, where he has been Vice President of Clinical Operations and Administrative Director of Critical Care Services since 2009. He has worked in clinical roles for the past 14 years, including leadership positions for the past eight.  Prior to moving to Nashville, he was Director of Emergency Services at North Short Forest Hills Hospital in Forest Hills, NY, for four years. And before that he worked for five years at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, a 588-bed Level 1 Trauma Center in Jamaica, NY, which has one of the busiest ERs in New York.

He also has experience working in the Emergency Departments of UCLA Medical Center and Cedar Sinai Medical Center, both in California, as well as Winthrop University Hospital in NY and St. Joseph’s Hospital in CO.

A Certified Emergency Nurse, Mazzo has earned membership in Sigma Theta Tau, the national nursing honor society. He earned his B.S. degree in nursing from Queens College in Charlotte, NC, and his M.A. degree in nursing in the Nurse Executive Program from Columbia University, Teachers College in New York, NY.

Mazzo is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Emergency Nurses Association.  He and his wife Amy have three children and will be moving to McMinnville.

About River Park Hospital

Located in McMinnville, TN, River Park Hospital is a 125-bed acute-care, full-service facility. Founded in 1970, the hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission and employs nearly 400 people at its current modern facility, which was built in 1996. RPH is a part of the Capella-Saint Thomas system of hospitals, a joint venture between Capella Healthcare and Saint Thomas Health, along with sister hospitals Highlands Medical Center in Sparta, DeKalb Community Hospital in Smithville, and Stones River Hospital in Woodbury. In addition to its accreditation from The Joint Commission, the hospital’s Chest Pain Center is accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers.  The hospital is one of the region’s largest employers and tax payers.  For more information, visit the hospital’s website at www.RiverParkHospital.com

About Capella Healthcare

Capella Healthcare partners with communities to build strong local healthcare systems that are known for quality patient care. Based in Franklin, Tenn., Capella owns and/or operates 14 acute care and specialty hospital facilities in six states.  With the philosophy that all healthcare is local, Capella collaborates with each hospital’s medical staff, board and community leadership to take care to the next level.  The company has access to significant leadership and financial resources, investing in its family of hospitals to strengthen and expand services and facilities. For more information, visit the website, www.CapellaHealthcare.com.

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