A state official that played a role in Massachusetts’ response to the bankruptcy of the parent of Holy Family Hospital has been named interim CEO of the hospitals in Lawrence, Haverhill and Methuen.
Former Tufts Medical Center President Diana L. Richardson becomes interim president and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital and its Holy Family Hospital April 14. She succeeds acting CEO Robin Hynds, a registered nurse who served as Lawrence General’s chief operating officer, who filled in following the abrupt resignation last month of President and CEO Abha Agrawal.
“Her collaborative approach, thoughtful decision-making, and commitment to strong employee engagement will be essential as we continue to unify Lawrence General and Holy Family Hospitals into a regional health system that serves the Merrimack Valley,” Rosemarie Day, hospital board chair, said of Richardson in a press release.
Richardson left Tufts Medical Center a year ago and, according to the release, was a “senior transition liaison with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health where she played a key role in the state’s incident command response to the Steward Health Care bankruptcy crisis.”
She previously was vice president of operations at UF Health—Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla.
Richardson said she is joining the combined hospitals during a “pivotal moment…as we continue this journey towards integration while caring for our patients and communities across the region.”
That transition, since Lawrence General Hospital took ownership of Holy Family Hospital Oct. 1, has been marred by the combined operation limiting its outreach to its home base. As WHAV previously reported, state and local officials and employees at Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill and Methuen have expressed concern about being left in the dark even six months after the acquisition.
Richardson will serve while the board of trustees conducts a search for a permanent system president and CEO.