LeighAnn Sidone, D.N.P., RN, C.E.N.P., has been named president and chief operating officer of Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. Suburban Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine, is a not-for-profit, acute-care, medical-surgical hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Sidone has served in the role of interim president since February 2024 while maintaining her position as vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer for Suburban Hospital. She also holds the position of associate chief nurse executive for practice for Johns Hopkins Health System. Dr. Sidone previously served as interim president for Suburban Hospital from September 2020 to April 2021.
According to a recent press release, in her new role, Dr. Sidone is responsible for Suburban’s inpatient and ambulatory operations, incorporating quality, safety and financial accountability. She ensures that the hospital provides high-quality outcomes, exceptional experiences and optimal value for patients and families. Reporting to Carolyn Carpenter, president of the National Capital Region of Johns Hopkins Health System, and in collaboration with Hasan Zia, president and chief operating officer of Sibley Memorial Hospital, Sidone is responsible for supporting integrated, coordinated delivery of care across the national capital region.
“Dr. Sidone’s extensive experience and service to Suburban Hospital make her uniquely suited to the charge of leading the organization and carrying forward Suburban’s legacy of excellent patient care,” says Kevin Sowers, M.S.N., RN, F.A.A.N., president of the Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine.
“Dr. Sidone is an inspiring leader who brings out the best in everyone, unites the team in the pursuit of excellence, and cultivates a culture of belonging rooted in compassionate care. I am privileged to continue to work with her and Dr. Zia of Sibley as we enhance the services that Johns Hopkins Medicine offers in the region,” adds Carolyn Carpenter, M.H.A., F.A.C.H.E., president of the National Capital Region for the Johns Hopkins Health System.
Sidone and Deb Baker, D.N.P., A.G.-A.C.N.P., N.E.A.-B.C., F.A.A.N., senior vice president for nursing for the Johns Hopkins Health System and vice president of nursing and patient care services for The Johns Hopkins Hospital, will lead the search to identify Suburban’s next vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer. Dr. Sidone will maintain those duties until an individual is appointed to the role.
Dr. Sidone has more than 30 years of experience and service to Suburban, beginning her career as a patient care technician at the hospital. She has served in progressive leadership roles, including director of professional practice and nursing quality, as well as associate chief nursing officer. Dr. Sidone is responsible for establishing the shared governance nursing councils that empower front-line staff at Suburban to refine the standards and protocols of patient care and garnered national recognition for their efficacy and advancement of an exceptional organizational culture. Her portfolio of responsibilities extended in recent years to also overseeing the health system’s nursing professional practice and shared decision-making councils.
As vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer, Dr. Sidone led all nursing activity at the hospital, including quality improvement, nursing standards and professional practice. Under her leadership, Suburban Hospital achieved American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet designation in 2019 and 2024, a distinction awarded to fewer than 10% of hospitals in the United States. In the most recent designation review, Dr. Sidone’s leadership was cited as one of the organization’s nine exemplars. The national reviewers called out specifically her exceptional communication skills, impressive visibility within the organization, and her commitment to a culture of caring for both patients and team members. Under Dr. Sidone’s leadership, Suburban Hospital was one of only 30 organizations in the nation to receive accreditation from the Forum for Shared Governance for nursing excellence, it received multiple Lantern Awards through the Emergency Nurses Association, and it implemented the DAISY Award program to recognize extraordinary nursing practice.
Dr. Sidone earned her doctorate of nursing practice from Duquesne University, a master’s degree in nursing from Loyola University in New Orleans, and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
“Suburban is a truly remarkable hospital, and I am so proud to be chosen as the president of this incredible organization, a place I consider home. Over the past 30 years, I’ve had tremendous opportunities to learn and grow alongside an amazing team of staff and physicians. I am honored to serve our teams as they focus on providing care and healing for our community and to partner with leaders from across our health system to improve care in our region,” Sidone said.
