Jessica Melton, M.H.A., will join Suburban Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, as president and chief operating officer on April 15. Melton will have oversight of Suburban Hospital’s portfolio of inpatient and ambulatory services as well as development of high quality, cost-effective and integrated clinical programs throughout the region. She will also lead Suburban Hospital's quality and safety programs and financial initiatives.

"Jessica brings tremendous background and leadership in health care to Suburban Hospital," says Carolyn Carpenter, M.H.A., president of the Johns Hopkins Health System's National Capital Region. "Jessica will serve a critical role in contributing to strategic growth throughout the region, while ensuring that plans align with and support Suburban’s daily operations."

In addition to serving as the area's designated trauma center, Suburban is the first hospital in Montgomery County to achieve Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for nursing excellence. The hospital delivers round-the-clock stroke care, comprehensive cardiac care by Johns Hopkins Medicine heart specialists and multidisciplinary cancer care through the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center in the National Capital Region.

"Suburban Hospital has an amazing team of physicians and staff members, and an outstanding reputation for delivering some of the most advanced and compassionate patient care to its community," says Melton. "I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work at this exciting time in the hospital’s strategic regional growth."

Melton joins Suburban Hospital from Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, where she was the chief operating officer. Before arriving at Sentara, Melton held leadership roles at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, including vice president of medical, surgical and critical care services, vice president of emergency services and patient flow, administrative director of emergency preparedness and trauma, and director of the Duke Preparedness and Response Center.

Melton was nationally recognized as a 2018 Up & Comer by Modern Healthcare magazine for her distinguished work building high performing teams focused on improving health care safety and quality. She was also named a Woman to Watch in Healthcare Leadership in 2016 by Deloitte. Melton received the competitive, national Carol Emmott Fellowship, which is dedicated to development and promotion of female health care executives.

Dedicated to the local community, Melton serves on the boards of the YMCA, Women United and the National Center for Healthcare Leadership. She is also a mentor and preceptor for many distinguished groups that focus on mentoring and supporting undergraduate women who are the first in their family to attend college as well as creating a pipeline of minority leaders in health care. In 2020, Melton established an endowed scholarship for female health care administration graduate students committed to supporting health care diversity and health equity.

Melton received both a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Master of Healthcare Administration with concentrations in finance, community preparedness and disaster management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed an administrative fellowship at Duke University Hospital, and received Six Sigma training and certification as an executive coach through North Carolina State University. She is a member of the National Association of Health Service Executives, the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.