POY Nominee — Cathy Harshbarger: Leading Weston County Health Services with faith

In a year marked by upheaval, loss and rebuilding, Cathy Harshbarger helped restore a sense of hope at Weston County Health Services.

Harshbarger stepped into the role of CEO as the hospital faced cultural strain, operational challenges and financial uncertainty. Over the past year, she has focused on people — listening to staff, steadying systems and rebuilding confidence inside an institution that plays a central role in the life of Weston County.

“She came to us willing to help and not knowing the problems that WCHS was facing and has turned our facility around despite the hurdles she encountered,” said Donalda Bennett, RN, Acute Care director of nursing and environmental services manager. Bennett said Harshbarger shows genuine interest in employees as people with families and lives beyond their jobs, describing her as a teacher, leader and mentor.

Bennett added that knowing Harshbarger has helped her grow as a manager and leader, crediting Harshbarger’s integrity, kindness and deep understanding of how health care facilities operate.

Tamie Dowding, RN, trauma coordinator and emergency preparedness lead, said Harshbarger arrived at the hospital facing significant challenges and has worked steadily to address them. “She has made Weston County Health Services a safe and fun place to work again,” Dowding said. “We couldn’t ask for a better person to turn this hospital around! It makes me proud to work here again.”

That renewed sense of pride among staff has been accompanied by measurable progress. Over the past year, the hospital has increased the number of filled beds at Weston County Manor, improved the timeliness and reliability of financial reporting and addressed several long-standing fiscal issues. The certified nursing assistant program has grown, and the hospital has expanded its ability to provide specialty care, strengthening services available to local residents.

Kim Scharf, interim nursing home administrator, said Harshbarger’s leadership is evident both in workplace culture and in the quality of care being provided. She described Harshbarger as compassionate and deeply committed to doing what is right, noting that her dedication and integrity have made a meaningful difference not only within the hospital but throughout the community.

Sharla Zerbst, marketing and public relations coordinator, told the News Letter Journal that WCHS has experienced a complete cultural shift under Harshbarger’s leadership. Zerbst described her as hardworking and resilient, adding that although rebuilding after years of turmoil will take time, Harshbarger is steering the organization in the right direction.

In a speech recognizing Harshbarger’s leadership, Zerbst said, “She brought back something we didn’t even realize we were missing: hope.” 

Zerbst said Harshbarger believed in employees when they were unsure how to believe in themselves and helped restore a sense of purpose and pride within the hospital.

Harshbarger said she sought the CEO position after reading in the NLJ about the challenges the hospital was facing, including the search for leadership. She said she believed her extensive background in rural hospitals could benefit the community. For Harshbarger, rural health care is rooted in relationships, and she said she has worked to provide leadership that helps staff grow while also feeling supported and secure.

She said she is proud of the hospital team and humbled to see the impact she hoped to have — helping staff feel listened to and confident
while ensuring the hospital runs smoothly — beginning to take hold.

Her professional efforts unfolded alongside profound personal change this year. Harshbarger experienced the loss of her mother, her brother and her dog, while also finding moments of joy and renewal. An avid quilter, she earned blue ribbons for several entries at the Weston County Fair. She also stayed in touch with a young Ukrainian man she met through missionary work, witnessing him and his family persevere amid the challenges of living in a war zone.

Harshbarger said she considers her service at the hospital, which will be the final chapter of her long career, to be missionary work. After learning she had been nominated as the NLJ’s Person of the Year, she said she was deeply moved. 

“I have never had such an honor and it really is humbling,” Harshbarger said. “I am blessed.”

Hospital board President Ann Slagle said Harshbarger took on the role not for personal gain, but because she believed the hospital needed steady leadership. As the past year has shown, Slagle said, that commitment has helped create a more stable and hopeful environment for the people who work at — and rely on — WCHS.