Allegheny Health Network appoints two leaders to key executive roles

New chief operating officer, chief quality officer added to core AHN c-suite team led by recently appointed president Mark Sevco

PITTSBURGH, July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced the appointment of two distinguished health care leaders for key roles at AHN, a new chief operating officer and chief quality officer.

Lou Baverso, MBA, MISM, will serve as AHN's new chief operating officer, and president of AHN hospitals, effective Sept. 8. Mr. Baverso comes to AHN from UAB Health System, a $7 billion Alabama-based provider, where he served as the system's COO.

UAB is anchored by UAB University Hospital, a 1,200-bed academic facility that is one of the nation's largest hospitals. While at UAB, he executed on the health system's strategic plan to increase access, inpatient capacity, and the ambulatory footprint across the network, and played a key role on the executive team that spearheaded the $450 million acquisition and integration of Ascension St. Vincent's Health System, a five-hospital network in central Alabama.

Prior to joining UAB in 2023, Mr. Baverso spent the entirety of his three-decade health care career at UPMC and its member hospitals in various prominent administrative and executive roles. Most recently, he served as market president for UPMC's Central Pennsylvania region, leading the system's seven-hospital mid-state service footprint.

Previously, he served as vice president of operations for UPMC Presbyterian-Shadyside and occupied the same leadership role at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC.

As AHN's chief operating officer, Mr. Baverso will help direct AHN's long-term operational strategy as well as lead the day-to-day operations of the network's hospitals, ambulatory services, and facilities and construction. Mr. Baverso is a University of Pittsburgh graduate (Bachelor of Science Information), and he received his MBA from Chatham University and his Master of Information Systems Management degree from Robert Morris University.

"Lou comes to AHN with an exceptional track record in operational leadership, and a deep understanding of the Western Pennsylvania health care landscape," said Mark Sevco, president, AHN. "I've known Lou for many years, and I know that his unique skillset and experience will help us achieve our mission of building healthier communities and delivering remarkable health experiences through high-quality programs and services."

Ezz-Eldin "Dean" Moukamal, MD, FHM, has been appointed AHN's Chief Quality Officer. Dr. Moukamal has been serving as the interim CQO since 2024. In this role, Dr. Moukamal leads all quality and safety strategies across the network, ensuring alignment with Highmark Health's quality initiatives and the organization's Living Health Clinical Model.

In addition to his role as interim CQO, Dr. Moukamal has also served as the Chief Medical Officer of AHN Forbes Hospital for the last seven years. 

In his time as interim CQO for AHN and Forbes CMO, both the network and the hospital have earned numerous quality and safety accolades. In May 2025, four AHN hospitals earned the highest possible 'A' grades in The Leapfrog Group's Spring safety rating survey. Additionally, Forbes was recognized for earning an 'A' safety grade in six consecutive cycles of Leapfrog reporting, an accomplishment that only a small percentage of U.S. hospitals can claim.

The recognition goes to hospitals that do the best job at preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections, and other harm to patients under their care.

Over the last year, other AHN hospitals have been recognized for their work in reducing hospital-acquired pressure injuries among patients, for excellence in emergency care, and for overall quality and safety by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

In late 2024, Dr. Moukamal also led AHN through the nationwide intravenous fluid and saline solution shortages caused by major production facility closure in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. While other hospitals were forced to cancel surgeries and dramatically ration supplies, AHN was spared of any major disruption thanks in large part to Dr. Moukamal's guidance.

Dr. Moukamal has had privileges at AHN Forbes as a member of Premier Medical Associates since 2007. In 2012, he was appointed medical director of Forbes Hospital's hospitalist division, and he has been CMO of Forbes since 2018, serving as the network's lead hospital-based CMO. He received his medical degree from the University of Aleppo in Aleppo, Syria, and completed his medical residency at UPMC.

"Dean is a tremendous physician leader, respected by his patients as well as his peers, and he has done a remarkable job in the interim CQO role," Sevco said. "Both Dean and Lou are incredibly talented, passionate and accomplished health care executives, and we are thrilled that they will be a part of our leadership teams at AHN going forward, as we continue to build the future of health care and advance our Living Health model."

About Allegheny Health Network:
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, multiple employed physician organizations, home and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and more. AHN employs approximately 23,000 people, has more than 2,500 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

SOURCE Allegheny Health Network