Trinity Health Of New England is making immediate leadership changes at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, installing interim executives after months of concerns raised by colleagues, patients, community members, and regulators about quality and safety.

The changes follow an operational review by a nationally respected healthcare consulting firm and an extended onsite presence by the Connecticut Department of Public Health at Saint Francis, which Trinity Health Of New England said reinforced the need for immediate action.

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. The organization is also moving quickly to name an interim chief medical officer and is recruiting for a vice president of operations role at Saint Francis.

Daniel Roth, MD, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Trinity Health, said, "Saint Francis has cared for people in Hartford for generations, and that matters to us. 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."

In a separate change, Steve Hanks, MD, will serve as president and CEO of Trinity Health Of New England while continuing to lead Trinity Health New York, with the two regions maintaining their own brand identities. Montez Carter will move into a key advisor role supporting Dr. Hanks and Dr. Roose during the transition before departing the organization effective July 1.

Dr. Hanks said, "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. 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."

Saint Francis Hospital has cared for patients in Hartford across generations and remains a part of Trinity Health Of New England's regional health system alongside Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital.