Valerie Powell-Stafford Named President of Saint Francis and Mount Sinai

Valerie Powell-Stafford has been named President of Saint Francis and Mount Sinai and will officially take the helm in the Hartford Market on June 3.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming Ms. Powell-Stafford as President of Saint Francis Hospital,” said Montez Carter, PharmD, FACHE, President and CEO of Trinity Health Of New England. “Along with her extensive leadership experience, Ms. Powell-Stafford brings an energy and enthusiasm we know will filter throughout our existing leadership team, colleagues, and community. As the health care industry continues to face obstacles, we are honored to have a new president at Saint Francis’ helm to carry on, and further grow its more than 125-year legacy of bringing award-winning, high-quality care to those who need it most.

“I am very excited to join the Saint Francis Hospital family, which has a rich legacy of delivering world-class care and improving the health of our communities,” said Powell-Stafford. “Our talented physicians and colleagues are truly committed to living our Mission and providing compassionate care. I am looking forward to joining them in making a difference in the lives of our patients and the communities we have the privilege to serve.”

Powell-Stafford served as President and CEO of HCA Northside Hospital since 2019. During her tenure leading HCA Northside, the hospital was named on Healthgrades’ America’s Best 250 Hospitals list and earned the Patient Safety Excellence Award for 2024, ranking among the top five percent of all hospitals for clinical performance and patient safety. Under her leadership HCA Northside also earned 12 Specialty Five Star Excellence Awards from Healthgrades in 2024, and garnered numerous accolades from the American Heart Association, The Joint Commission, and Leapfrog.

Powell-Stafford was integral to the growth of HCA Northside. She spearheaded the recruitment of new physicians, the implementation of a robotic surgical program which recently celebrated its 500th case, and the development of a nursing school on the hospital campus. Additionally, she established a Community Advisory Board, developed academic and community partnerships, and reduced RN turnover by more than 20 percent.

Prior to her time at HCA Northside, Powell-Stafford held a number of leadership positions in other HCA Healthcare Florida hospitals, including CEO of Englewood Community Hospital, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Ethics and Compliance Officer at Blake Medical Center, COO of Doctors Hospital, Compliance Officer and Assistant Administrator for Community Hospital, and Program Administrator for the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Powell-Stafford began her career in Connecticut, serving as an Administrative Fellow and Associate Director of Ambulatory Services at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Powell-Stafford received her Master of Health Science Administration from the University of Michigan. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Past Governor, and earned the organization’s Exemplary Service Award and Regent’s Award. Powell-Stafford was also the 2023 Woodson Museum of Florida First Lady in African American History Honoree and was named the 2022 Tampa Bay Business Woman of the Year Honoree.