In mid-April, Christopher Wyatt was named system COO of Johnstown, Pa.-based Conemaugh Health System.
With a focus on operational efficiency and human-centered care, Conemaugh has more than 3,500 employees and over 350 physicians and advanced practice providers. It comprises multiple hospitals, specialty clinics and patient-centered programs.
Becker’s connected with Mr. Wyatt to further discuss his strategies for supporting workforce excellence, strengthening care coordination and enhancing patient access in his new role.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: As you step into your new role, what are your top priorities for Conemaugh Health System? How do you plan to achieve them?
Christopher Wyatt: My approach is centered on continuity and momentum. The Conemaugh leadership team has laid a strong foundation over the past several years — my role is to build upon that legacy, sharpen our focus and scale initiatives already producing results. Our overarching vision is to deliver world-class care across western Pennsylvania while positioning Conemaugh as both the employer and provider of choice. This vision is deeply rooted in our 130-year legacy of serving the community.
Here are the priorities I have set to guide this work:
No. 1:Enhancing patient access and experience: One of our top priorities is to ensure that every patient, from rural clinics to outpatient centers and hospitals, can access the care they need in a safe and supported environment. Our team has made great strides in reducing wait times, improving communication at every touchpoint, and expanding services where our communities need them most. We are committed to making care more accessible and more responsive to community needs, particularly in our rural and underserved areas. A key focus will be building on existing telehealth and digital infrastructure to expand virtual care, especially for behavioral health and chronic disease management. Additionally, I will work with the team to scale and optimize our mobile-friendly patient tools like self-scheduling and real-time support. Importantly, we’ll continue to leverage our level 1 trauma center and level 3 NICU to ensure patients across all our facilities — Meyersdale, Miners and Nason receive high-acuity care close to home with seamless transitions and continuity.
No. 2: Supporting workforce excellence: Our team is — and has always been — the heartbeat of Conemaugh Health System. Supporting our employees’ personal and professional growth is key to delivering high-quality patient care, preventing burnout and sustaining a culture of excellence. As I step into this role, I do so with deep appreciation for the work already accomplished by the leadership team to define clear career pathways, expand professional development opportunities, and create open forums for employee input. These initiatives have laid a strong foundation, and I am committed to building upon that momentum.
As COO, my goal is to further empower our employees to own a culture of excellence. That begins with ensuring every employee feels seen, supported and equipped to grow. We will strengthen mental health support services, expand access to counseling, and provide flexible time-off policies that promote work-life balance. We’ll continue to collaborate with the Conemaugh School of Nursing and partner institutions to offer tuition reimbursement and ongoing education, making advancement attainable for all team members.
In addition, we’ll build upon career ladder programs and mentorship tracks established to ensure that staff at every level — from clinical to nonclinical — can envision and achieve a fulfilling future here. Open communication will remain a cornerstone of our approach, with ongoing employee surveys, leader rounding and transparent follow-ups that show we are listening — and acting.
No. 3: Strengthening systemwide care coordination: Maximizing resources and talent across all four acute care facilities is another priority for the Conemaugh Health System. We aim to create a more connected patient journey by enhancing systemwide coordination. This means ensuring smoother transitions between primary, specialty and acute care for patients, regardless of which facility they visit. We’re focused on unifying care delivery across our four acute care hospitals and hundreds of providers. This includes enhancing shared EHR systems, deploying interdisciplinary care teams, and standardizing clinical protocols. Leveraging the expertise of our graduate medical education programs, we’ll integrate residents into complex care management and quality improvement efforts. We aim to continue eliminating redundancies and delivering a more cohesive patient experience, regardless of where they enter our system.
By building on Conemaugh’s rich legacy — from Clara Barton’s pioneering role to our modern, level 1 trauma center — we are positioning Conemaugh Health System as a leading regional employer and a world-class destination for care. Our goal is to meet and exceed national benchmarks while preserving the trust and deep-rooted connections we have with our community. In alignment with our CEO’s vision, we are committed to fostering a culture of excellence and innovation, ensuring that both our employees and patients recognize Conemaugh as a place where excellence is not just an aspiration but a standard. As COO, I am dedicated to advancing this vision and ensuring that Conemaugh Health System continues to provide world-class care right here in Johnstown, Pa. — empowering our staff and patients to think bigger, compare ourselves to national leaders and strive for excellence beyond local competitors.
Q: Employee engagement has been a key focus of your leadership. What strategies do you plan to implement to strengthen it further?
CW: What inspires me most is knowing that behind every patient experience is a dedicated caregiver. Employee engagement, to me, isn’t a metric — it’s a mission. We’re building a strong culture of listening, recognition and action, and scaling proven practices to deepen that impact.
Real-time engagement feedback: Employee engagement is at the heart of everything we do, and it starts with listening deeply and acting with purpose. Every decision our leadership team makes impacts thousands of families, so my approach is people-centered and action-oriented. I aim to continue efforts to improve the culture where feedback drives action, not just discussion.
I want to recognize the tremendous work our CEO, chief medical officer, chief nursing officer, and the executive team have already accomplished in improving our organizational culture. Their leadership has been instrumental in institutionalizing leader rounding and expanding department-level pulse checks, initiatives that have fostered an environment of continuous improvement. These efforts go beyond simple listening tours — they are designed to create actionable feedback loops.
For example, when staff raise concerns about workflow inefficiencies or burnout, we don’t just listen; we track and publicly share the progress of our resolutions through forums like town halls. As COO, I will lead efforts to address these issues swiftly, with clear action plans and accountability. By building on the work already in motion, we will continue to reinforce trust through transparency and ensure that leadership actions align with our staff’s needs and well-being. This approach will continue to strengthen our engagement culture and ensure we address problems in real-time, fostering an environment where every voice is heard and valued.
Leadership that listens: Leadership is most effective when it listens and understands. My goal is to follow the lead of our CEO and step into our teams’ shoes, whether shadowing a night-shift nurse or working alongside environmental services staff. This hands-on understanding of workflow challenges helps design systems that elevate careers. We’ve already launched rapid promotion pathways for high-potential staff across various roles, from nursing assistants to IT specialists, but my focus is on building leaders who don’t just manage teams, but instead, invest in futures. By pairing mentorship programs with skills-based advancement tracks, we’ll ensure that every employee sees a clear path to grow, contribute more, and own their impact on patient care. Leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about removing barriers so our teams can find theirs. I’ll meet one-on-one with department heads to understand their challenges and ensure decisions reflect the realities of the frontline.
Our executive leaders have been actively engaged with both nonclinical and frontline departments, such as having our VP of operations spend time with environmental services or directors assisting in the ER. These hands-on experiences ground our decisions in the day-to-day realities of our staff, ensuring that leadership is closely connected to the challenges and opportunities on the ground. In addition, we are expanding rapid advancement programs and leadership coaching tracks, providing emerging talent with clear pathways for growth and development. This commitment helps to foster a culture where leadership is both accessible and invested in the future of our team.
Q: As COO, how do you plan to balance operational efficiency with the delivery of patient-centered care across the system’s diverse facilities?
CW: As COO, my approach to balancing operational efficiency with patient-centered care is grounded in the belief that efficiency and empathy must work together. We will focus on operational excellence through a “people-first” lens, integrating lean processes while ensuring compassion remains at the heart of our service.
Lean processes with compassion: The primary goal is to streamline workflows to enhance human connection, ensuring every operational decision strengthens our ability to deliver compassionate, community-rooted care. When evaluating any process, my guiding question is, “Does this help our team focus more on patients?” If the answer is no, we will redesign it.
One key strategy will be conducting “people-first” process audits, ensuring every workflow is examined to see if it serves the primary purpose of focusing more on patient care. If not, we will redesign those workflows to reduce unnecessary burdens. Additionally, I believe healthcare isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. What works in one community may not work in another. Therefore, we will engage with local patients, families and care teams to co-design solutions that reflect each region’s unique needs and culture. For example, we may develop telehealth hubs for rural areas or in-person navigators for urban clinics. We will also reduce waste by applying lean principles to administrative tasks, such as automating prior authorization processes, allowing staff to focus more on patient care. Streamlining workflows in this way reduces burnout and reclaims valuable time for caregivers to do what they do best — provide compassionate care.
Technology that enables, not replaces: In addition to lean processes, technology plays a pivotal role in our plan to balance efficiency with patient-centered care. We will continue investing in technologies that alleviate administrative burdens, allowing caregivers to focus more on building meaningful patient relationships.
One of the areas we are targeting is our patient portal, which will empower patients to schedule appointments, access test results, and communicate directly with their care teams. This reduces staff phone calls and administrative tasks while giving patients more control over their healthcare journey. Furthermore, we plan to enhance our telehealth platforms, making them more accessible and user-friendly, allowing healthcare providers to deliver high-quality care remotely, especially to underserved areas. AI-powered insights will also help us predict staffing gaps and optimize schedules to prevent burnout while maintaining continuity of care. By implementing technology that supports caregivers and patients, we can create a more efficient, personalized system that is responsive to the needs of our diverse communities.
Q: What is the best piece of leadership advice you’ve received? How do you plan to implement this into your new role?
CW: The best leadership advice I’ve received is to “listen to understand, not to respond.” This advice reinforces the idea that leadership is not about having all the answers but creating a space where others feel safe sharing their ideas, concerns, and innovations.
In my new role at Conemaugh, I plan to be present and visible within the organization. I will prioritize walking the halls, visiting departments and listening to stories firsthand from our caregivers and patients. I will invite dialogue at all levels, encouraging open communication and collaborative problem-solving — from patient advisory councils to nurse huddles. Leading with humility and purpose will be key in ensuring that every decision I make centers on what is best for our patients, our staff, and our communities.
We are not starting from scratch but advancing a powerful vision already in motion. By doubling down on initiatives that are working, fine-tuning processes through listening and collaboration, and holding ourselves to national standards of care, we’re ensuring Conemaugh remains a trusted healthcare destination. Leadership is not about rewriting the story — it’s about elevating the next chapter.
