Business notebook: W&J grad’s AI startup gets boost from incubator
A Washington & Jefferson College graduate who created an AI-related company, designed to enhance Washington County businesses, has gotten a boost for his company as well.
Eric Wabrick, founder and CEO of Autology AI, recently took third place in the 2025 Ideas 2 Enterprise competition at W&J’s Ignite Business Incubator in downtown Washington.
Wabrick, a 2003 graduate of Canon-McMillan High and a 2007 W&J alum, said the award included a $1,000 grant “to continue helping small businesses in the county to adopt artificial intelligence to work smarter and grow faster.”
He said Autology AI “specializes in education, consulting and AI automation solutions to increase efficiency, enhance productivity and accelerate business growth.
“This story matters,” Wabrick said, “because while big corporations are racing ahead with AI adoption, many smaller businesses are getting left behind. My mission is to change that — starting here in Washington County.”
He said he launched “Autology AI earlier this year to make AI simple and actionable for local companies. We achieve this through in-person educational workshops, one-on-one consulting, and custom automation systems tailored for small businesses.”
Midtown Market
Andrew Andronas, owner and developer of the Midtown Market project being built in Canonsburg, has a new target for opening. He hopes to have it, essentially, coincide with the borough’s Pennsylvania Bavarian Oktoberfest scheduled for Sept. 19-21.
A Canonsburg native, Andronas this spring had been hoping for a July 4 launch. Headway has been made, but utility work – including water and sewage lines – necessitated a delay.
Plans call for the market, at 48 W. Pike St., to be a mix of retail and dining locations and entertainment, plus an events center and duckpin bowling lanes. Andronas said he anticipates the lanes to be installed in early September.
“We’re plugging along well,” he said. An opening on or near the Oktoberfest celebration could benefit Midtown Market, as the festival is expected to attract large crowds over three days.
UPMC Washington
UPMC Washington has been awarded the American College of Cardiology’s National Cardiovascular Data Registry Chest Pain-Myocardial Infarction Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2025.
Only 323 hospitals nationwide were recognized with this honor.
UPMC Washington, according to a news release, was honored for its “commitment to delivering a higher standard of care for heart attack patients. It signifies that the hospital has met or exceeded ambitious performance goals by treating patients in accordance with clinical guidelines established by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.”
In achieving this honor, UPMC Washington “has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain-MI Registry for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024) and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures.
UPMC Washington advanced from silver in 2023, to gold in 2024 and this year to platinum, reflecting the organization’s ongoing growth and transformation since becoming UPMC.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 800,000 Americans experience a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle.
Brook Ward, president of UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene, said in a statement: “This award is a testament to the exceptional teamwork and clinical excellence of our physicians, nurses and staff.”
AHN Jefferson
Jefferson Hospital, a member of Allegheny Health Network, has received a Gold-Level Labor & Delivery program distinction from the Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative for its commitment to safe infant sleep practices.
PA PQC Designation Awards, according to an AHN news release, acknowledge hospitals statewide for displaying “exceptional dedication to collaborative efforts aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes through various initiatives, including maternal opioid use disorder, neonatal abstinence syndrome, maternal sepsis and safe sleep.
“Safe sleep practices are critical for infant well-being. From 2020 to 2022, rates of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) rose nearly 12 percent despite overall improvements in U.S. infant mortality.
Joy M. Peters, chief nursing officer at AHN Jefferson and Canonsburg Hospitals, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award. “At AHN Jefferson, we understand the importance of safe sleep practices in preventing infant mortality … We want to help ensure the babies who get their start at Jefferson Hospital have the best chance to thrive when they arrive home.”
CHROME FCU
Tina Wilson has been promoted to vice president of Operations at CHROME Federal Credit Union.
Wilson has more than 28 years of experience in the financial industry, including the past 11 at CHROME FCU. CHROME said in a news release that she “will oversee key departments and strategic initiatives that continue to strengthen our commitment to members and support our long-term growth.
“Tina has consistently driven operational excellence while leading efforts to deliver innovative tools and member-centric solutions.
“She brings a deep understanding of back-office operations, including fraud prevention, risk mitigation, and the critical systems that support secure and seamless deposit processing. This expertise has elevated both member trust and internal efficiency.”