Donald J. Amaral has been named chief...

Donald J. Amaral has been named chief executive of Summit Health Ltd., a Burbank operator of hospitals and other health-care facilities. He succeeds Summit founder Don Freeberg, who will stay on as chairman.

Before joining Summit two years ago as president and chief operating officer, Amaral served for three years as president and chief executive of Mediplex Group Inc., an Avon Products subsidiary. Before that, he spent 10 years in senior financial positions at the hospital group of National Medical Enterprises, based in Los Angeles.