These changes come after months of hearing from colleagues, patients, community members and regulators who have raised important concerns and expectations. We brought in a nationally respected health care consulting firm to review our operations and practices to improve quality and safety. The Department of Public Health’s extended on-site presence at Saint Francis has reinforced the need for immediate and meaningful action. 

“Saint Francis has cared for people in Hartford for generations, and that matters to us,” said Daniel Roth, MD, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Trinity Health. “We hold ourselves to a high standard, and feedback we have received makes clear that continued improvement is essential. We are saying it out loud, and we are doing something about it. The leaders we are putting in place will ensure colleagues are able to provide the best care possible to every patient who walks through our doors.”

Effective immediately, Robert Roose, MD, MPH, who leads Trinity Health Of New England’s Community Hospitals, will serve as interim president of Saint Francis Hospital and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital. Jennifer Misajet, MHA, RN, CNOR, CSSM, will serve as interim chief nursing officer. We are moving quickly to name an interim chief medical officer. We are also recruiting for a vice president of operations role at Saint Francis alongside the other leadership positions.

Steve Hanks, MD, will serve as president and CEO of Trinity Health Of New England while continuing to lead Trinity Health New York. The two regions will maintain their own brand identities. Montez Carter will move into a key advisor role supporting Dr. Hanks and Dr. Roose during this transition. He will depart the organization effective July 1. 

“I have been at Saint Francis. I have been with our teams, and I have seen the care and the commitment that is there every day,” said Dr. Hanks. “I have also seen areas where additional focus and improvement are required, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. We are going to fix what needs fixing. And we are going to earn back the trust that Saint Francis has always stood for.”