Administrative Leadership
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Joseph J. Frank, MS, MPH
Regional Hospital President, East Region, Penn State HealthJoseph Frank serves as regional hospital president for Penn State Health’s East Region, which includes Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center and the new Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center, scheduled to open in 2022.
He provides executive-level leadership for the two hospitals in Berks and Lancaster counties, driving operations, growth and coordination across each region. He oversees the continued development of the Lancaster Medical Center, its staffing plans, recruitment of its leadership team and planning for its clinical services. He also develops and maintains strong relationships with local referring physicians in private practice.
Prior to joining Penn State Health’s senior management team in 2018, Frank held a variety of leadership roles in entrepreneurial health care ventures. He was CEO of The Heart Group, a Lancaster cardiology practice acquired by Lancaster General Health, and CEO of Valley Forge Dental, where he developed and operated 90 multispecialty dental practices in nine states.
As senior vice president for Surgical Care Affiliates, Frank oversaw the company’s growth from a single surgery center in Lancaster to 79 facilities in 39 states.
Frank earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, he holds a master’s degree from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg University.
Biography -
James Bennett, MHA
Chief Operating Officer, Penn State Health St. JosephJames Bennett is vice president and chief operating officer for Penn State Health St. Joseph. In this role, he works with surgical services and medical staff leadership on physician recruitment, case volume growth and surgical process improvement.
Prior to joining St. Joseph, Bennett worked for United Surgical Partners International, Addison, Texas. He joined the organization in 2014 as administrator of Hershey Outpatient Surgery Center, an ambulatory surgery center jointly operated with Penn State Health at 15 Hope Drive, Hershey. In 2017, he became CEO of the Surgical Institute of Reading, Wyomissing, Pa., where he was responsible for more than 200 staff members and the operations of a surgical hospital, an ambulatory surgery center and three outpatient physical therapy centers. While under Bennett’s leadership, the Surgical Institute of Reading received the Distinguished Guardian of Excellence Award for exceptional patient experience, was recognized by Healthgrades as a Top 100 Hospital for Total Joint Replacements and Safety and earned a five-star quality rating from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Bennett began his career in health care in 1994 as a nurse, eventually joining Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in 2003 as a staff nurse in the surgical intensive care unit. Two years later, he became clinical head nurse of the post-anesthesia care unit and, from 2007 until 2014, he was nurse manager of a 44-bed postoperative surgical floor and a 14-member nursing vascular access team
Bennett serves as a member of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance. He earned both a master’s degree in health care administration and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Penn State. He is currently completing the requirements to become a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Biography -
Edward Chabalowski, BA
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Penn State Health St. Joseph and Penn State Health Lancaster Medical CenterEdward Chabalowski is vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) for Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center and Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center. In this role, he serves as the senior financial leader for both medical centers and works in close coordination with Penn State Health Medical Group practices in the region.
Chabalowski has 35 years of experience in health care finance, operations and strategy, as well as proficiency in building partnerships with hospital leadership and physicians to ensure effective execution of strategic goals. His career has included serving Tower Health as CFO for Phoenixville Hospital, Phoenixville, Pa., and Pottstown Hospital, Pottstown Pa., Geisinger Health System as CFO of Community Medical Center in Scranton, Pa., and Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia as CFO.
A graduate of Rutgers University, Chabalowski earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting from Rutgers University, Camden, N.J.
Biography -
Jennifer Jones-Lapp, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Interim Chief Nursing Officer Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical CenterJennifer Jones-Lapp is interim chief nursing office for Penn State Health St. Joseph. In this position, she is responsible for oversight of all nursing activities and clinical operations.
Jones-Lapp brings 16 years of experience in nursing and operations management, including 10 years of progressive nursing leadership, to the position. Most recently, she served as St. Joseph’s director of inpatient services, leading multiple initiatives to improve patient and staff experience, including the creation of policy, procedures and staff education to ensure patient and staff safety during the pandemic.
Prior to joining St. Joseph in 2017, Jones-Lapp was director of critical care and emergency services for WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon. Among her accomplishments were an increase in employee satisfaction by Emergency Department personnel and the creation of multiple department orientation programs for new nurse hires.
An Advanced Board-Certified Nurse Executive, Jones-Lapp is enrolled in a doctorate of nursing program in health care systems leadership with Chamberlain College of Nursing. She also earned a master’s degree in nursing from Drexel University, Philadelphia, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Cedar Crest College, Allentown.
Biography -
Michael Jupina, MBA
Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Penn State Health St. JosephMichael Jupina is the vice president of marketing and communications for Penn State Health St. Joseph. He is responsible for advertising, marketing, key stakeholder communications, as well as public, community and government relations and crisis communications. He also oversees operations for security, transportation, call center and physician outreach and has led the organization’s foundation during transitional periods.
Jupina’s marketing and communications experience spans multiple industries, including health care, finance and banking, technology and new media. Prior to joining St. Joseph in 1999, he directed new business development activities for Tierney, an advertising and public relations firm in Philadelphia. He also served as director of communications and chief spokesperson for a publicly held bank and financial services firm. He has worked with two new media startups where he counseled advertising agencies on integrating emerging technologies into their marketing strategies.
In addition to serving on the Berks County Advisory Board of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Jupina is an elected member of the Exeter Township School Board. Currently, he chairs the board’s athletics committee and is a member of the personnel committee.
Jupina earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, Pa., and an MBA in marketing and finance from Alvernia University, Reading, Pa.
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Scott Mengle, MBA
Vice President of Human Resources, Penn State Health St. JosephScott Mengle has been vice president of human resources for Penn State Health St. Joseph since 2000. He has oversight for human resources, in addition to various other support departments. These have included employee health, environmental services, food and nutrition services, security and transportation services, child day care and adult day care programs.
Prior to joining St. Joseph, he held a similar position with Catholic Health, Buffalo, N.Y., a multiemployer health system with 8,500 employees. Before its acquisition by Catholic Health, he also served Sisters of Charity Hospital, Buffalo, N.Y., as vice president of human resource operations.
Mengle serves on the Berks County Workforce Development board of directors and is both a board member and board secretary of Hospital Central Services. He is a member of the American Society of Health Care Human Resource Administration and the Society for Human Resource Management.
He earned both a bachelor’s degree in human resources and an MBA in human resources and health care management at State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, N.Y.
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Marc A. Rovito, MD, FACP
Interim Vice President of Medical Affairs, Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical CenterDr. Marc Rovito is the interim Vice President of Medical Affairs for Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center, providing support to the medical staff and representing the medical staff to the administration. He also serves as St. Joseph Cancer Center medical director and Cancer Liaison Physician, leading accreditation initiatives for the cancer care program to assure quality and recognition by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Practice Initiative and the American College of Radiology.
Board-certified in medical oncology and internal medicine, Dr. Rovito received his medical degree from Temple University and completed his residency in Internal Medicine and his fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Hematology and Oncology at Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State Cancer Institute.
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Susan Sullivan, MTS
Vice President, Mission and Ministry, Penn State Health St. JosephAs vice president of mission and ministry for Penn State Health St. Joseph, Susan Sullivan oversees the director of Spiritual Care and is lead staff of the board of directors’ mission and ministry committee and medical ethics committee. She also has responsibility for Catholic identity education, compliance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services and St. Joseph’s relationship with the local Catholic diocesan bishop.
Sullivan has more than 25 years of ministry experience in social justice education and advocacy, encompassing regional, national and international settings. Prior to joining St. Joseph in January 2018, Sullivan served as director of education and outreach for the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. While there, she championed the need to include diverse participants in the first-ever national Convocation of Catholic Leaders, developed a diverse national listening process to shape the 2015 creation of a formation and advocacy website, wearesaltandlight.org, and served as a subject matter expert on Catholic social teaching for the 2015 papal visit of Pope Francis in all three destination cities.
Sullivan has also served as director of parish and social justice ministries for Catholic Charities Atlanta and the director of member services for the Atlanta Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. She is an experienced journalist, editor and freelance writer.
A graduate of Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, Sullivan earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical science. She also completed a master’s degree in theological studies at Spring Hill College, Mobile, Ala.
Biography