O’Neil, Alsop to move into new roles

Bob O’Neil, who has served as senior vice president and general counsel for the West Virginia University Health System for the past nine years, will be taking on the role of executive vice president and chief administrative services officer for the system.

Jessica Alsop, who now serves as assistant vice president and senior corporate counsel, will become vice president and general counsel.

In his new position, O’Neil will oversee or handle major strategic initiatives on behalf of the system, its subsidiaries, and University Health Associates. He also will have operational oversight of third-party payor contracting functions, property and liability insurance coverage and contracting functions, self-insurance programs, and government relations functions.

O’Neil formerly represented West Virginia University Hospitals in private practice, then as general counsel, for the past 35 years and has represented the system since its inception in 1996. 

Prior to joining the system in 2011, O’Neil, among other things, served as the managing partner of Spilman Thomas and Battle in Charleston, W.Va. He received his B.A., summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University in 1978 and J.D., with honors, from The Ohio State University in 1981. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers, and West Virginia Super Lawyers.

Alsop will serve as a member of the senior leadership team and be responsible for directing the day-to-day legal affairs of the West Virginia University Health System, West Virginia University Hospitals and its subsidiary hospitals, and University Health Associates. She will oversee the services provided by the legal services group and work performed by outside law firms.

Before joining the WVU Medicine legal team in 2015 as associate general counsel, Alsop served as counsel for Noble Energy and practiced with Jackson Kelly for 12 years, where she served on the executive committee and as the chair of the recruiting committee. She earned her B.S., with an emphasis in accounting, from West Virginia University in 1998 and graduated Order of the Coif with her J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law in 2002. She also received an L.L.M. in taxation from New York University. She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Mergers and Acquisitions and Chambers USA Guide to Leading Business Lawyers for Corporate and Commercial Law.

The transition of these two roles should be complete by early April.