Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester has named two new people to its executive leadership team, the healthcare provider announced on Monday.
Jay Prosser has been named chief nursing officer, and Paul Smith has been named chief operating officer.
Prosser has been serving as interim chief nursing officer since November, per the announcement, joining Saint Vincent from Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham, Ala., where he served as associate chief nursing officer. Prosser replaces Tim Clark, who served in the chief nursing officer position from June to November of 2021, according to his LinkedIn.
The announcement of Prosser into the role comes weeks after the Massachusetts Nurses Association union voted on Jan. 3 to end a labor strike at Saint Vincent Hospital, which started as a fight over patient-to-nurse ratios. The 301-day strike was the longest nurses strike in the state’s history, according to the MNA.
Smith began his position in the fall, previously working for Steward Health Care in Dallas. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, a hospital in the Steward system. He takes over from Ava Jo Collins, who left in December 2020 to take over as CEO of MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham.
“In just a few short months, they have made countless contributions to this hospital and the people we serve,” Saint Vincent CEO Carolyn Jackson said of the pair, in a statement. “They have done a stellar job during a challenging time, and I know they will both continue making this hospital an even better place to receive care.”
