Joanne M. Conroy, MD, currently CEO of Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Massachusetts, has been selected to lead the New Hampshire health system.
One of the most prestigious academic medical centers and health systems in the country has a new leader.
Joanne M. Conroy, MD, has been picked as the second CEO and president of Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, the organization's Board of Trustees announced today. Conroy, who earned a chemistry bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in 1977, received a unanimous vote of the board on June 14.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock features Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, a 396-bed facility located in Lebanon, NH. The health system also has a cancer center, children's hospital, and four affiliated acute-care hospitals. For the fiscal year ending June 2016, Dartmouth-Hitchcock posted total operating revenue at $1.8 billion.
Conroy, 61, is stepping down as CEO of Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, MA. The 343-bed hospital is the flagship facility for Lahey Health System.
"Coming back to New Hampshire is like a homecoming for me," Conroy said in a prepared statement that Dartmouth-Hitchcock released today. "It will be wonderful to be back in a place I love, but more wonderful still to have the privilege of serving an organization I've long admired as a leader in patient-centered care and the evolution of care delivery."
Conroy is succeeding James Weinstein, DO. Under his leadership, Dartmouth-Hitchcock has played an active role in value-based healthcare initiatives, including participation in Medicare accountable care organization models such as Pioneer ACO. The health system's medical-education partner, Dartmouth College, features not only a premier medical school but also The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, which developed the Dartmouth Atlas.
Weinstein is stepping down as Dartmouth-Hitchcock CEO and president on June 30. Conroy's selection as CEO and president is the second major C-Suite move at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in less than a year. In July 2016, Daniel Jantzen was shifted to CFO from the role of executive vice president of operations and chief operating officer.
In addition to her Dartmouth College chemistry degree, Conroy earned her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, SC. She has multiple certifications and has served in several professional roles:
- Board certified with the American Board of Anesthesiologists
- Certificate of added qualifications in pain management
- Diplomate in the American Academy of Pain Management
- Worked more than five years as chief health care officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C.
- Served in multiple senior executive roles at Florham Park, NJ-based Atlantic Health System, including chief medical officer
- Held several academic and executive positions at MUSC, including president of the medical staff and executive medical director
Conroy is set to start her new job at Dartmouth-Hitchcock on Aug. 7. From July 1 to Aug. 6, Chief Clinical Officer Edward Merrens, MD, and Chief Administrative Officer Stephen LeBlanc will serve in co-interim CEO and president roles.
Christopher Cheney is the CMO editor at HealthLeaders.