Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester has quietly appointed a new CEO, Maria Morales Menendez, according to its website.According to Menendez’s LinkedIn profile, she stepped into the position in June. She previously served as an executive at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach in Florida. Prior, she filled several administrative and executive roles at Delray Medical Center in Delray Beach, Florida.Saint Vincent and the MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham and Natick are owned by Texas-based, for-profit provider Tenet Healthcare. St. Mary’s Medical Center, where Morales Menendez was chief operating officer, is also owned by Tenet.Carolyn Jackson, former CEO of Saint Vincent Hospital PHOTO COURTESYLeadership at Saint Vincent has been in flux since a previous leader, Carolyn Jackson, left her position in February 2025. Denten Park was named CEO following her departure, but Park left the position by the end of 2025. Adam Bracks was listed as the hospital’s interim CEO in January.Neither Tenet nor Saint Vincent responded to requests for more information.It was not clear as of Monday afternoon whether Menendez would serve as head of both Saint Vincent or the entire Massachusetts market for Tenet, as Park and Jackson did.Jackson, who assumed leadership of Saint Vincent in 2019, served in the position for nearly six years, the longest the role has been filled in a decade. Under her tenure, an historic 301-day nurses strike took place, initially over staffing ratios. When Jackson’s departure was announced, the Massachusetts Nurses Association told WBJ they were relieved and hopeful for what new leadership changes could mean for the hospital.The hospital’s nurses filed hundreds of complaints about working conditions and patient safety concerns between July 2023 and January 2024.In March, Saint Vincent selected a former Steward Health Care executive as chief nursing officer.Monica Benevides is a correspondent for Worcester Business Journal.
