Greenwich Hospital announced today that Diane P. Kelly has been appointed its new president, effective immediately, with current president and CEO Norman Roth planning to retire this fall.
The hospital also announced that Marc Kosak has been appointed its chief operating officer ”“ the role in which Kelly had been serving ”“ effective Oct. 3.
Plans for the transition began nearly a year ago, Kelly told the Business Journal. “One of the things that the Yale New Haven Health System does very well is making sure there’s a seamless transition,” she said.
Kelly described Roth as “an excellent, strong leader ”“ someone who’s kind, humble and has always put patients first. When I met him here (in 2018), I immediately recognized that he was the kind of leader who had real value and respect for the work that we all do.”
“Diane Kelly has been an extremely effective leader throughout her career,” Roth said. “Since joining Greenwich Hospital in 2018, she has made a clear and a positive impact on the entire hospital community. Most recently, Diane has demonstrated exceptional talent in guiding the hospital through a historic pandemic. I am confident that she brings the right commitment and expertise to successfully lead Greenwich Hospital well into the future.”
The 68-year-old Roth, whose retirement is effective Oct. 2, began his career in 1979 as an administrator in the emergency department at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven. He was promoted to vice president of administration and led a number of critical improvement projects, most notably the construction of the Smilow Cancer Hospital that opened its doors in 2009.
“Norman has been an exceptional leader and has distinguished himself in each of the roles he has had throughout the health system,” attested Yale New Haven Health CEO Marna P. Borgstrom. “Nobody works harder than Norm Roth and no one has achieved the array of success he”™s had through the years. His retirement after 41 years is well deserved but he will be sorely missed.”
In 2011, he stayed within the system by becoming chief operating officer at Bridgeport Hospital.
After serving four years there, Roth was offered the opportunity to serve as interim COO at Greenwich Hospital, eventually being named president of the hospital in 2015.
“Looking back on the last 40 years, I understand and deeply appreciate the passion and commitment our employees bring to patient care every day of their lives,” Roth said. “Whether in the midst of a public health crisis or in the daily pursuit of excellence, I am so proud of the work we have done together to improve health care for all who need it.”
Kelly has served as Greenwich Hospital”™s COO since 2018. She began her career at the Berkshire Medical Center (BMC), serving in a variety of frontline nursing roles, including as clinical leader of the psychiatric unit and as vice president of quality and safety. She went on to serve as the COO of BMC from 2008 until she accepted the position at Greenwich Hospital a decade later.
She told the Business Journal that the hospital “is built on respect and compassion ”“ that’s not just a phrase here, it’s ingrained in the culture.”
Still weathering the COVID-19 crisis, Kelly described the future of both Greenwich and Yale New Haven Health as “a transformational time, based on the new reality of where we find ourselves. We will continue to transform ourselves based upon what our community and our patients need.”
“In Diane Kelly, we have a proven leader,” said Arthur Martinez, chair of the Greenwich Hospital Board of Directors. “In the two years that Diane has served as the COO, she has demonstrated strong strategic and implementation skills.”
“Diane has a proven track record in health care administration with many years of experience in direct patient care as well as in hospital operations,” Borgstrom added. “She has become an intrinsic part of Yale New Haven Health and is the perfect choice to lead Greenwich Hospital out of the pandemic and into clinical growth.”
Kosak has worked at Greenwich Hospital since 2004 and has been its senior vice president of 0perations since 2015. Kosak has also served as the vice president of administration and the administrative director of physical medicine.
“Marc brings a wealth of experience to his new role as chief operating officer,” Kelly said. “He is well known and exceptionally well respected here in Greenwich and across Yale New Haven Health. We are privileged to have someone with his talent on our team and I look forward to working with him as we collectively take on new challenges.”
