Brian Durniok

UPMC announced Monday it will conduct a search for a new president of Jamestown’s hospital. Brian Durniok, who has led UPMC Chautauqua since 2019 and was at the helm amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has been named president of UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa.

In a news release, the Pittsburgh-based health organization said Durniok has been serving as interim president of UPMC Hamot and its 3,300 staff members since July. His move followed the promotion of David Gibbons, who previously served as president of the Erie hospital network.

“I’m very pleased to officially call Brian ‘president’ of UPMC Hamot,” said Joel Yuhas, UPMC executive vice president. “Anyone who has worked with Brian can appreciate his approachable and accountable leadership style and his sincere commitment to promoting UPMC’s mission, vision and values across our communities served.”

While serving as interim president in Pennsylvania, Durniok has continued in his role at UPMC Chautauqua in Jamestown and UPMC Northwest in Venango County, Pa.

“My career in health care, even amidst the changes and challenges, has been an extremely rewarding journey, and I am excited about leading UPMC Hamot and the market into the next chapter,” Durniok said in a statement. “It is a continued privilege to lead these hospitals and the communities in which they serve — providing world-class care, close to home.”

Durniok joined UPMC in 1995 as a director of human resources at UPMC Horizon in Pennsylvania. He served as vice president of human resources at UPMC Hamot, and later UPMC Northwest and UPMC Chautauqua, from 2013 to 2018.

He was appointed president of Jamestown’s hospital in January 2019 following the retirement of Betsy Wright. Just a year later, a global pandemic arrived that would put a strain on resources and staff and claim an estimated 400 lives in Chautauqua County.

In April 2020, a month after COVID-19 arrived, Durniok acknowledged his hospital workers and the local first responders who were serving on the front lines of the pandemic.

“Obviously, this is a time in our world that is unlike anything we’ve experienced in our lifetimes from the standpoint of a health issue,” he said in 2020. “Our first responders, EMTs, physicians and hospital staff continue to do their jobs with excellence and commitment on a daily basis. That makes us all very proud to live in a community where so many dedicated professionals are looking out for us.”

UPMC said Durniok also was “instrumental in transforming and improving the health care and services provided in the southwestern New York region” after the hospital affiliation began six years ago. More than $54 million has been invested in the Jamestown hospital during that time.

“At every turn, I’ve had the opportunity and the honor of working with outstanding leaders and staff who allow us to fulfill our mission daily of providing Life Changing Medicine to people who need us most,” Durniok said. “I look forward to working with each one of them and thank them for their continued commitment to our patients and their families.”

A search for Durniok’s replacement will begin in earnest, a UPMC spokeswoman said Monday.