Penn Highlands DuBois president announces retirement

DUBOIS — John Sutika, president of Penn Highlands DuBois, announced plans to retire on June 30, 2023.

“I want to retire while I’m still young and healthy enough to enjoy spending time with my family and doing the things we like to do together,” said Sutika.

Sutika has been the president of Penn Highlands DuBois since 2011. His path to the hospital’s senior leadership role included financial positions in both the corporate and healthcare sectors.

Following graduation from Gannon University in Erie, Sutika joined Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst & Young) as a certified public accountant. In 1985, he began his career with DuBois Regional Medical Center. During a 20-year period at the medical center, he served as a staff accountant, accounting manager, controller and the chief financial officer. When DuBois Regional Medical Center began managing Brookville Hospital in 2005, he was named president. In 2011, Sutika played a key role in the integration of DuBois Regional Medical Center, Brookville Hospital and Clearfield Hospital when they merged to create Penn Highlands Healthcare.

“It has been wonderful helping our health system come together to add and expand services that allow people to receive care close to their homes,” said Mr. Sutika.

During his tenure with Penn Highlands Healthcare, Sutika helped the system expand many services including The Heart Center, The Lung Center, Hahne Cancer Center, Neurosurgery, Neonatal and Obstetrics and growth in Psychiatry. He is especially proud that the system has been established as a teaching hospital.

“Our Graduate Medical Education program is training quality family medicine, psychiatry and now sports medicine physicians here in our community,” he added.

Sutika is strongly rooted in the central Pennsylvania community. He was born and raised in Grampian and attended Curwensville High School, where he met his wife, Cheryl. The Sutikas raised three children in that community, including daughter Michelle and sons John and Brett.

In addition to traveling, during his retirement, Sutika plans to spend time with his grandchildren, Judson and Lily; golf; hunt; and perhaps coach various sports.

“John’s retirement is bittersweet news,” remarked Steven M. Fontaine, CEO of Penn Highlands Healthcare. “While he has worked tirelessly to help expand and maintain quality healthcare in the communities we serve, he deserves to relax and enjoy life. We appreciate the time he has devoted to our health system and I am confident that everyone will wish him well when he begins the next phase of his life.”