Dr. Robert Roose is president of Trinity Health Of New England Hospitals, overseeing the strategic, operational and financial performance of the health system’s hospital network in Connecticut and Massachusetts. In Connecticut, Trinity Health Of New England operates St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs, along with physician practices, outpatient centers and other healthcare services.
In April, Roose, a physician leader with a public health background, was named interim president of St. Francis Hospital and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital amid leadership changes and ongoing efforts to address quality, patient safety and operational concerns at the Hartford hospital.
According to Roose, Trinity Health Of New England over the past year continued implementing its Epic electronic health records system, known as TogetherCare, across its hospitals and care sites. The health system also expanded outpatient services with new ambulatory centers in Enfield and Watertown offering specialty care and diagnostic services.
Roose has said the healthcare industry continues to face financial, workforce and operational challenges, particularly at safety-net hospitals. At the same time, he sees opportunities to improve care delivery, modernize operations and advance quality and patient safety initiatives.
If you could change one thing in the healthcare industry, what would it be?
I would reduce fragmentation — across care settings and functions. Healthcare works best when care drives decisions, not payers or third parties. We need systems that are oriented towards wellness that are both high-tech and deeply human, aligned around outcomes that matter.