Leadership
Joseph P. Ross
President & CEO
Meritus Health
Joe Ross has nearly 35 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Before being named president and CEO of Meritus Health, he was president and CEO of Shore Health System of Maryland in Easton. During his more than 15 years at Shore Health, Mr. Ross created a system-wide approach through the merger of Memorial Hospital at Easton and Dorchester General Hospital. Prior to leading Shore Health System, Mr. Ross served as president and CEO of Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for eight years. He holds a master's degree in hospital and health system administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), a member of the board of directors of the Terrapin Healthcare Insurance Company, a member of the board of directors of Leadership Maryland, a member of the Health Care CEO Roundtable, and a member of the board of directors of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation.
Deborah Addo Samuels
Sr. Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
As chief operating officer and senior vice president of operations for Meritus Medical Center, Deb Addo Samuels is responsible for planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating the clinical and administrative operations of patient care services. Ms. Addo Samuels has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare administration, most of which have been in leadership positions. Since joining Meritus Health, she has held the positions of director, executive, vice president, and chief operating officer. In addition, she has served as a consultant and lecturer to major healthcare organizations. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of Washington County MD, the Board of Directors for the Hagerstown Community College Foundation, and on Community Hospital Connection of the Maryland Hospital Association. Ms. Addo Samuels holds a master of public health degree from Walden University.
Raymond Grahe
Sr. Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Ray Grahe joined Washington County Hospital in 1979 and was instrumental in the successful construction of Meritus Medical Center. As chief financial officer and senior vice president of strategic ventures and finance, he is responsible for the financial well-being of Meritus Health and its entities. In addition to patient accounts, budget and compliance, managed-care contracting, and capital projects, Mr. Grahe oversees admissions/registration, Meritus Health's information systems, and corporate compliance. Active in professional and community organizations, he serves as chairman of the Endowment Fund Board, treasurer and chairman of the Board of Maryland Physicians Care, and treasurer of TriState Health Partners. He is a member of the hospital's Acute Care Board, Graduate Leadership Hagerstown, the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and more.
Heather Lorenzo, MD
Vice President & Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Heather Lorenzo provided her expertise to Meritus Health in several capacities before becoming chief medical officer, including chief medical information officer, physician advisor to care management, and interim vice president of medical affairs. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and went on to become the chief of residents and associate program director for internal medicine residency at the David Grant Medical Center on the Travis Air Force Base in California. Since then Dr. Lorenzo has worked as a hospitalist at multiple Maryland hospitals, including Shady Grove Adventist and Montgomery General Hospital.
Carolyn Simonsen
Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer
A nurse attorney with more than 30 years of healthcare experience, Carolyn Simonsen served as vice president of business integrity before being named chief compliance officer and vice president of audit and business integrity for Meritus Health. Over the course of her career, Ms. Simonsen has held a number of both management and staff positions in the areas of healthcare law, quality improvement, risk management, case management, cardiac rehabilitation, and critical care nursing. Prior to joining Meritus Health she was vice president of quality and care management at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she provided planning and leadership for the organization's quality, safety, regulatory, and accreditation programs. Ms. Simonsen also served in the Navy Nurse Corps from 1971-1973. She is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the National Association for Healthcare Quality.
Jesus Cepero
Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer
Jesus Cepero has more than 25 years of experience as a nurse. Before being named vice president and chief nursing officer of Meritus Health, he was executive director of heart and vascular services at St. Josephs Medical Center in Baltimore. During his time at St. Joseph's Medical Center, Mr. Cepero led the redevelopment of the hospital's heart program and introduction of a vascular services line to the organization. Prior to working at St. Josephs Medical Center, Mr. Cepero served as vice president of nursing, Critical Care/Heart Institute at Childrens National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He holds a masters degree in public administration from Seton Hall University, and a master of science degree in nursing from Kean University and a Ph.D in Nursing Research from the Catholic University.
Jake Dorst
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Jake Dorst has over a decade of experience in information technology for hospitals and healthcare systems. Before being named vice president and chief information officer (CIO) of Meritus Health, he was chief information officer at Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg, Virginia. In that role, he was responsible for information and data integrity, data centers, technical service centers, production scheduling functions, help desks, voice and data communication networks, computer program development, and computer systems operations. Mr. Dorst received a bachelor of science degree from Christopher Newport University and is currently pursuing a master of business administration (MBA) degree.
Dale Bushey
Vice President, Finance
Dale Bushey, vice president of finance for Meritus Health, provides direct supervision of the health system's finance, patient financial services, and health information management departments. In his role, he works to maintain and manage budgets, financial reporting, accounting, payroll, accounts payable, the revenue cycle, taxes, coding and transcription, and treasury functions. Mr. Bushey brings a wealth of financial experience to his position, most recently working as the executive of finance. Before joining Meritus Health, he worked as a controller for the Carlisle Regional Medical Center and manager of financial reporting for Capital Blue Cross. He is a graduate of Penn State University and holds an MBA from Mount St. Mary's University. He is also a certified public accountant. Mr. Bushey serves on the boards of Franklin County Head Start, Potomac Case Management, and the Healthcare Family Credit Union. He is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Lee Shaver
Vice President, Support Services
As vice president of support services for Meritus Health, Lee Shaver oversees materials management to include purchasing and distribution, environmental services, clinical engineering, security, mail room, and facilities engineering. Mr. Shaver has extensive experience in healthcare. Before his promotion to vice president, he worked as the executive director for supply chain and logistics for Meritus Health. His previous experience includes working as chief of operations and programming for the Air Force Medical Operations Agency in Ft. Detrick and the director of medical logistics at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Mr. Shaver holds a master's degree in healthcare administration from Baylor University, is a member of Upsilon Phi Delta National Honor Society for Healthcare Administration, and he is a board certified healthcare executive as a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Dawn Crumel, Esq.
Vice President & General Counsel
Dawn Crumel, Esq., serves as Vice President and General Counsel. She oversees all legal affairs relating to Meritus Health and provides legal consultation and leadership to Meritus Health's senior management team and all of its operating units. Before joining Meritus Health, Ms. Crumel served for seven years as senior associate counsel of Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, where she negotiated strategic affiliations with other health systems. Prior to that, Ms. Crumel was director of legal affairs at Centene Corporation, a Medicaid managed care company in Washington, D.C. Her legal career also includes positions with UnitedHealth Group, Howard University and University of Pennsylvania Health System. She began her career as a clerk for the New Jersey Supreme Court and as an associate at the law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll. Ms. Crumel has more than 18 years of legal experience in the healthcare industry. Ms. Crumel received a Bachelor of Arts in biomedical ethics from Brown University in Providence, R.I., and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She chairs and serves on several committees of the American Health Lawyers Association and is a board member of the Bloomberg Bureau of National Affairs' advisory board for its Health Law Reporter. Ms. Crumel frequently speaks on and writes articles about health law and policy matters.