Windsor — Gay Landstrom, chief nursing officer of Dartmouth-Hitchcock health system, has been named interim chief executive of Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center.

Landstrom will serve while Mt. Ascutney conducts a search for a successor to Chief Executive Kevin Donovan, who will leave on June 15 to take the top job at Laconia, N.H.-based LRGHealthcare.

Landstrom will be responsible for “strategy, community relations and furtherance of the Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center mission,” according to a news release from the organization, a D-H affiliate.

James Weinstein, the chief executive at D-H, called Landstrom “a transformative and tireless leader in nursing” across the D-H system and said he is grateful to her for stepping up and taking on the role, ensuring a “seamless leadership transition.”

In 2014, Landstrom’s $309,000 compensation package included a $50,000 bonus. Donovan, who was employed by D-H while at the helm of Mt. Ascutney, got paid $334,000 in 2013, the last year for which data is available from the Guidestar database.

“Key to developing a sustainable health system that improves the lives of the people and communities we serve, for generations to come, is an integrated, connected network of partners across our system,” Weinstein said. “Having leaders work across our partner organizations adds value to the whole.”

Karen Clements, D-H’s associate chief nursing officer, will manage day-to-day nursing oversight at Dartmouth-Hitchcock as acting CNO while Landstrom leads Mt. Ascutney.

Donna Van Fleet, board chairwoman for Mt. Ascutney Hospital, said Landstrom’s “proven track record for facilitating partnerships” is an invaluable skill as the hospital “carries out its participation in health care systems that provide our community access to the fullest array of resources to both keep them healthy as well as treat them when they are ill.”

Landstrom said the ability to help and support one another during times of transition is “one of the beauties of health systems.”

“I’m honored to be selected to help lead Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center during this transition,” she said. “I look forward to working with the talented staff at Mt. Ascutney as we work to serve our patients.”