The name and management of Merrimack Valley Hospital, formerly Hale Hospital, are changing again.
Lester P. Schindel, president of Holy Family Hospital and Merrimack Valley Hospital, is being replaced next Monday by Joseph Roach of Danville, Virg., according to an email sent by Dr. Mark Girard, president of Steward Hospitals. Girard also reported, as of Aug. 1, Merrimack Valley Hospital will be called “Holy Family Hospital at Merrimack Valley.”
“We will be hanging new signs and distributing materials (brochures, physician profile cards and other items) with the new name of our Haverhill campus. As we have shared before, from a patient and employee standpoint, this merger will not lead to significant day-to-day changes. All acute-care services available at Holy Family and Merrimack Valley will continue to be offered at their current location,” he said.
It was not known at press time whether Schindel of Framingham continues to have any role at Steward. Schindel also served as CEO of Merrimack Valley Hospital, after the city of Haverhill’s sale of the hospital to Essent Healthcare in 2001. A call to Schindel was not returned by press time.
Back in March, WHAV reported Steward Health Care System LLC filed an application with the Department of Public Health to add Merrimack Valley Hospital to the Holy Family Hospital license.
Girard announced Roach’s appointment Tuesday in an email with hospital partners. Roach previously served as CEO of Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital, Florence, Ala., leaving that position in November, 2011, according to his LinkedIn profile. The profile also reports Roach was “brought in to overhaul financially failing, not-for-profit 2-hospital system.” From 1993 to 2010, he served as CEO of Memorial Health System/ Province Healthcare/Lifepoint, Martinsville, Virg.