Atrium Health announced Wednesday that Vicki Block has been hired as senior vice president of the Central Division starting April 1.

Block will lead facility operations for three hospitals — Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, the largest hospital in the region, as well as Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy in Charlotte and Levine Children’s Hospital, which is also in Charlotte.

Block most recently worked as the chief operating officer at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, the flagship facility for OhioHealth’s nationally-recognized neuroscience, heart and vascular, and oncology service lines.

Prior to OhioHealth, Block was an executive at WakeMed Health. She was accountable for operational, financial and strategic performance.

Previous positions included Moses Cone Health Systems in Greensboro, UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and Cleveland Clinic.

This appointment also serves as a “coming home” for Block as she returns to North Carolina.

“We are very pleased to welcome Vicki back to the Atrium Health family,” said Ken D. Haynes, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Atrium Health, in a statement. “Vicki is an excellent strategic and operational leader with proven success leading high-performing teams. And not only is she an exceptional administrator, she is also a dedicated and active member of the communities where she serves.”

Block currently serves on the American Heart Association’s Central Ohio Board of Directors and has been a leader and supporter of the organization’s work in the community.

She is also active with the American Red Cross, serving on both its board and philanthropy committee.

In addition, Block is a published author, whose work has appeared in the Journal of Electrocardiology and the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. She holds a B.S. in biology from The University of Akron and a masters of hospital and healthcare administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Carolinas Medical Center serves as the region’s only Level 1 Trauma center and is an approved transplant center for heart, kidney, pancreas and liver.

The center also serves as one of North Carolina’s five Academic Medical Center Teaching Hospitals, providing residency training for more than 200 physicians in 15 specialties and serves as a satellite for the medical school at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Also, Levine Children’s Hospital is ranked among the top 50 children’s hospitals in the nation and recognized in six specialties by U.S. News & World Report.

Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy is a full-service community hospital, specializing in the care of seniors and in complex foot and ankle surgery, hip and knee surgery, bariatric surgery and women’s pelvic health.

“I could not be more thrilled to be returning home to Atrium Health to lead the Central Division,” said Block. “I look forward to working side-by-side with the teams here to continue fulfilling Atrium Health’s mission to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all.”