As he prepares to begin his retirement on Oct. 2, outgoing Greenwich Hospital President and CEO Norman Roth said he believes he”™s leaving behind an institution that is stronger and better prepared to face future challenges than it was even just a few months ago.
“A hospital is only as good as its staff and the physicians who work there ”” and we”™ve been blessed with an extraordinarily high-quality staff,” Roth told the Business Journal. “We have continued to transfer the organization from an episodic health care center to one where there”™s a true recognition of what a privilege it is to serve the public.”
With a career spanning 41 years, most of them within the Yale New Haven Health System ”” and the last five as Greenwich”™s leader ”” Roth indicated that one of his proudest moments came with how the facility handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At one point we had 26 COVID-positive patients in the hospital ”” about 75% of our total ”” with 28 of them in our intensive care unit,” he said. “But our leadership stepped up and did an amazing job. And I was so impressed with our staff, which never missed a beat. They ran to meet the challenge, as opposed to running away from the challenge.”
Through those efforts, the hospital has become better recognized as “a major medical center,” Roth said, “based on the way that everyone came together to treat our patients.”
While saying his exit from Greenwich is “bittersweet,” Roth said he believes that his successor, Diane Kelly, will thrive.
“When we hired her (as chief operating officer) in April of 2018, it was with my knowing that one of my major duties was to help prepare her for the leadership role,” he said. “And that”™s the right way for any leader to leave an organization ”” with a very clear, transparent succession plan in place, so the organization doesn”™t lose any steps at all.”
Asked what made Kelly such an obvious choice to succeed him, Roth said, “I saw someone who could immediately contribute to the day-to-day operations of Greenwich Hospital.”
Both she and Marc Kosak, who is succeeding Kelly as COO ”” “are so strong and talented ”” I know they have the right approach to lead Greenwich Hospital,” he said. “And Diane has the empathy, compassion and commitment to our patients and staff that you want, which will serve her and the organization well as we continue to grow.”
That growth includes continuing to implement a $160 million plan to expand clinical services and ambulatory centers in lower Fairfield and Westchester counties, part of which is the construction of a $70 million, 80,000-square-foot cancer center.
With so much activity, what made this the right time to step down?
“I”™m 68 years old and have been working in health care for 41 years,” he said. “I knew this was the right time, especially with Diane and Marc in place.
“And we have four grandchildren, the oldest of whom is 8½,” he added. “My kids grew up so fast that we wanted to make sure we had time to spend with our children and grandchildren.”
As for his golden years, “I plan on spending a couple of months not doing much,” he said ”” although that won”™t last for long. Plans include reacquainting himself with Spanish, improving his golf game, traveling with his wife when it is safe to do so and finally learning to play the piano.
“I love what I do and the people I”™ve been privileged to work with,” Roth said. “But at some point, you can”™t keep saying, ”˜I”™ll wait until the next project is finished, and then when the next project is finished and then when the next project is finished.”™ The time feels right.”
