Melanie Heuston serves as the inaugural chief nursing executive for WVU Medicine, West Virginia’s largest health system and private employer, comprising 25 hospitals.
She previously served as chief nursing and patient care services officer at Meritus Health in Hagerstown, Maryland, where the organization achieved Magnet designation in 2019, and earlier held multiple executive nursing leadership positions within UPMC in Pittsburgh. Dr. Heuston’s clinical background is in cardiothoracic intensive care, and her professional interests center on workforce development, leadership advancement, and nursing innovation. She has published in the Journal of Nursing Administration and other peer-reviewed journals and has presented at many regional and national forums.
She holds an adjunct faculty appointment with the West Virginia University School of Nursing and is committed to education, mentoring, and leadership development. Most recently, she led the establishment of the Center for Nursing Education, which opened in fall 2025 in Morgantown, West Virginia, with expansion planned for 2027. Dr. Heuston received the 2020 ANCC Certified Nurse Award for Nurse Executive, Advanced, and is a member of the 2023 Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship cohort.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Carlow University and her Master of Science and Doctor of Nursing Practice in nursing administration from the University of Pittsburgh.