Highmark Health names Mark Sevco as president of Allegheny Health Network

Sutter Health executive has spent more than 30 years in health care leadership, most of it in Pittsburgh

, /PRNewswire/ -- Highmark Health today announced that Mark Sevco, chief operating officer of Sutter Health in Northern California, has been appointed president of Allegheny Health Network (AHN). He will officially join the organization at the end of March.

AHN is the $5 billion, 14-hospital provider arm of Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit health and wellness organization that offers Blues-branded health insurance solutions in four states, as well as other insurance and technology products nationally.

As COO of Sutter, Sevco led operations for one of California's largest health systems, with 24 hospitals, 4,000 beds, eight medical foundations, home and hospice care services, ambulatory surgery centers, and other diversified businesses across six California markets. During his time with the organization, Sevco helped expand access to care, enabling Sutter to serve more than 3.5 million patients in 2024, while also reducing employee and physician turnover and increasing employee engagement.

"We are thrilled to welcome Mark back to Pittsburgh, and into the AHN and Highmark Health family," said Karen Hanlon, Highmark Health chief operating officer. "Mark is an accomplished, dynamic health care leader with a proven track record of successfully managing large hospital organizations and aligning clinical models to deliver exceptional care, enhanced access, and improved patient and caregiver experiences.

"As network president, Mark and his team of 23,000 AHN employees will work to advance our Living Health model, supporting the blended payer-provider strategies that will allow Highmark Health to transform care and succeed in a highly competitive industry environment."

Prior to joining Sutter in 2023, Sevco (MBA, MHA) was an executive vice president with Pittsburgh-based UPMC, where he spent 30 years in various senior leadership positions operating the system's hospital and ambulatory services. Before he departed for Sutter Health, he was president of UPMC Hospitals, leading UPMC's 40 academic, community and specialty hospitals across Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York.

From 2019 to 2021, he served as president of UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

"I look forward to joining the AHN leadership team and connecting with caregivers to help advance AHN's mission of creating remarkable health experiences for all of the network's patients throughout Western Pennsylvania and beyond," Sevco said. "AHN has a national reputation as an agile, innovative organization that puts patients first and elevates the voices of clinicians. I am grateful for the opportunity to expand that reputation, and lead this exceptional organization into its next chapter, as we all collaborate to improve the health of our community and build a workplace where employees can thrive and grow."

Sevco holds a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics, a master's degree in business administration, and a master's degree in health administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He was also an adjunct professor for Pitt's Graduate School of Public Health.

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 Highmark Health