Saint Francis Hospital Shake-Up: New Leadership, Ongoing Oversight

0:00It's April 30th. Welcome in. This is Hartford News Today, where local news meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. Big shake up as St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. The hospital just fired its president, Valerie Powell Stafford, effective right away. She's getting replaced on an interim basis by Dr. Robert Rousse, who runs community hospitals for the parent group, Trinity Health of New England. That network is also swapping out its top boss, with Montez Carter stepping down as president and chief executive officer on July 1, handing over to Dr. Steve Hanks. These moves hit after months of state health department inspections that flag serious problems like medication mix-ups, two few staff on hand, and hygiene slips. Back in September of 2024, the hospital even signed a consent order with Connecticut officials over those low staffing levels. Folks in Hartford are feeling the weight of this since St. Francis is a key spot for community care. Community health leaders stressed that people deserve safe, reliable treatment, and they've

1:03made it clear oversight won't let up. On top of the new president and chief executive officer, Jennifer Massageit is stepping in as interim chief nursing officer. The team is hunting for an interim chief medical officer too, plus a vice president of operations and other key roles to fill the gaps. Trinity Health says they're owning the issues and pushing for real fixes while the state keeps a close watch to make sure this turns the hospital. Around for good.