Executive Leadership Team
At Durham Regional Hospital, we’ve been serving the healthcare needs of Durham, Orange and surrounding communities for over 30 years. We take pride in being part of Duke University Health System and in carrying on the tradition of caring of our predecessor hospitals – Lincoln and Watts.
Our exceptional team of healthcare professionals is committed to providing the highest level of service to our patients, our visitors and our community. If you or someone you love needs hospital care, we hope you will choose Durham Regional Hospital. And if there’s anything else we can do to enhance the service we provide, we hope you will let us know. Please visit the Feedback page to share your suggestions, compliments or concerns. Your comments will help us as we strive to be among the very best community hospitals.
To your health.
Team Profiles
Kerry Watson
President
Kerry Watson joined Durham Regional Hospital as Chief Executive Officer in March 2008. Watson previously held the position of senior associate operating officer at Duke University Hospital.
Watson has held significant leadership positions in many clinical service areas within the Duke University Health System over the past 10 years. Prior to Watson’s career at Duke, he served in various leadership positions for six years at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD, and prior to that spent ten years in management positions in the Howard University Hospital Department of Radiology in Washington, DC. He also served a term as Administrative Officer for the Department of Radiology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Watson is a graduate of George Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in Radiology Administration and Health Sciences. He completed graduate degree work at the University of Maryland and earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.
Watson serves on the Triangle Red Cross Board, and is a member of the National Association of Health Services Executives and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Katie Galbraith, MBA
Chief Hospital Operations and Business Development Officer
Katie Galbraith, MBA, was appointed Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer in June 2007. In March 2009 her role was expanded to include hospital operations.
Galbraith formerly held the position of Divisional Marketing and Communications Officer for Durham Regional Hospital, where she led the marketing, public relations and communications efforts for the hospital. Prior to joining Durham Regional in 2001, Galbraith worked for more than four years as Public Relations Manager for Duke Childrens Hospital and Health Center. She has also worked in media relations for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in Williamsburg, Va.; as a reporter and freelance writer for The Cape Cod Times, The Virginian-Pilot and Navy Times; and as a studio guide for Universal Studios Florida.
Galbraith graduated in 1991 with a B.S. degree in journalism from Northwestern University and in May 2007 with a MBA degree from Elon University. Galbraith is a member of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, the American Marketing Association and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Jonathan Hoy, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Jonathan Hoy, CPA, was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Durham Regional Hospital in August 2008. Hoy has been with Duke University Health System for seven years, most recently serving as Director of Finance for Duke HomeCare and Hospice.
As Chief Financial Officer, Hoy will lead the Finance Department, who assist with the development of the annual revenue and expense budget, long-range financial planning and capital budgets and the overall corporate budget planning process.
Hoy received a Bachelors and Masters degree in Accounting from East Carolina University.
Lorrie Jones-Hartley, RN, BSN, MSN, CPHQ
Chief Safety and Quality Officer
Lorrie Jones-Hartley, RN, BSN, MSN, CPHQ, was appointed Chief Safety and Quality Officer of Durham Regional Hospital in March 2009. Jones-Hartley has been with Durham Regional Hospital since 2004, most recently serving as Director of Patient Safety, Quality and Care Management. Jones-Hartley has over 20 years of experience in health care and has served in positions ranging from staff nursing to hospital operations.
As the Chief Safety and Quality Officer, Jones-Hartley is responsible for care management, patient safety, quality, environment of care and emergency management. Jones-Hartley received a Bachelors degree in Nursing from Western Carolina University and a Masters degree in Adult Health Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina. She is a member of both the national and the North Carolina chapter of the American Case Management Association.
Lorrie is certified as a professional in healthcare qualtiy.
Victoria Orto, MS, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Nursing Officer
Victoria Orto became the Chief Nursing Officer on September 2009. Before coming to Durham Regional, she served as senior director of Medical/Surgical Nursing for Rochester General Health System in
Her nursing experience includes Medicine, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Inpatient Psychiatry and Women’s Services. At the beginning of her career, Vicky was a licensed practical nurse in the U.S. Army, stationed at the 28th
Orto holds a diploma in Nursing from Albany Medical Center School of Nursing in
Lisa Pickett, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Lisa Pickett, MD, became Chief Medical Officer of Durham Regional Hospital in April 2009.
Pickett has been a surgeon at Durham Regional Hospital since 2001. In addition to serving as co-medical director for the Intensivist Service, she is currently the chief of the Division of General Surgery, the surgical director for the Critical Care Unit for Durham Regional Hospital and the graduate education medical director for Surgery. She has been a member of the Operating Room Executive Committee, the Medical Executive Committee, and serves as chair for the Critical Care Committee. Dr. Pickett is also an Assistant Professor of Surgery and Medicine for Duke University Medical Center.
As chief medical officer, she will continue to promote clinical care excellence in partnership with our Medical Staff and will provide executive leadership for our Medical Staff Services, Hospital Medicine and Intensivist programs as well as our graduate/undergraduate medical education activities. She will also continue her general surgery and critical care practice.
Pickett obtained her Medical Doctor degree at Harvard Medical School, and completed a general surgery residency and critical care fellowship at Duke University Medical Center Surgical Intensive Care Unit in 2001.
Richard Walsh, PhD
Chief Human Resources Officer
Richard Walsh, PhD, joined Durham Regional Hospital as Chief Human Resources Officer in April 2005. Most recently he served as Director of Organizational Effectiveness and People Development with University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland, an integrated health system with 150 locations and more than 20,000 employees and physicians. He previously was Director for Human Resources with Johnson & Johnson and Manager of Organization Development with Honeywell International.
With more than 30 years of experience in human resources management, he has built a reputation as a strong, thoughtful leader. He brings to Durham Regional expertise in change leadership, management development, team building, enhancing employee satisfaction and building successful diversity programs. Walsh holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of Iowa, and both a master’s and doctorate degree in psychology from Marquette University. He has served as an Adjunct Professor in the MBA program at John Carroll University and as a lecturer at New York University and the American Institute of Banking. He is Diplomate in the Society of Human Resources Management and a member of the Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychologists and the Human Resources Planning Society.
