Hospice of Jefferson County has hired a new leader.

The organization named Diana K. Woodhouse, Ph.D., RN, as its new chief executive officer.

She replaces Stephen Lyman, who retired April 30. She starts her new job in the beginning of August.

According to a hospice news release, Woodhouse "is an accomplished administrator and educator with extensive experience in every aspect of health care facility operations, program development, personnel, financial management."

Currently the education coordinator at Samaritan Keep Nursing Home, Dr. Woodhouse developed and implemented an 11-week certified nursing assistant program.

Woodhouse served as vice president for nursing and chief nursing officer for Samaritan Medical Center from 2006 to 2011.

Prior to coming to Watertown, she held nursing and patient care administrative positions in health care facilities in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

In Wheat Ridge, Woodhouse launched a hospital-based hospice that included home and inpatient care at the Lutheran Medical Center, now part of the Exempla System.

The facility, the Lutheran Hospice Care, was certified for both Medicare and Medicaid Hospice benefits and was accredited by The Joint Commission.

While there, Woodhouse also worked with the hospital’s foundation director on fund raising and endowment planning for the hospice program.

“The experience of working with hospice patients and their family members at Lutheran Hospice Care was profound and influenced my ongoing career,” said Dr. Woodhouse.

“I am eager to continue and extend this work to advance the mission and goals of Hospice of Jefferson County.”

“The clinical experience, knowledge and acumen as a health care administrator that Dr. Woodhouse brings to the position, is a true blessing to the agency," said Mary Anne Hanley, president of the hospice board.

"We are beginning a new chapter in the story of Hospice of Jefferson County and we are very pleased that we have found such a fine administrator to lead our professional staff and direct the opening of our beautiful new facility," Hanley said.

Woodhouse holds a B.S.N from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs; an M.S. in nursing administration and a Ph.D. in nursing care delivery systems from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver.