Deborah J. Wilson, president and CEO, and longtime executive at Lawrence General Hospital, has announced her plans to retire in May after 12 years at Lawrence General and 40 years in the health care industry. She will continue to serve LGH in an advisory capacity.
Since 2011 when Wilson joined Lawrence General, serving initially as senior vice president and chief financial officer, then as executive vice president and ultimately CEO in 2020, she has positioned the Hospital to successfully expand its services, the quality of its care and its clinical, medical and leadership talent.
As president and chief executive officer, she led a multi-year strategic planning process to position the hospital for the future. Her strong leadership team will continue the work she led, including the critical facets of LGH’s strategic plan focused on improving health equity, innovation, and financial stability.
“It has been a privilege to serve Lawrence General for the last 12 years. I have enjoyed working with the trustees, senior management team, physicians, clinicians and staff who all make this Hospital a vibrant, high-quality health care provider that serves the entire Merrimack Valley,” said President & CEO Wilson. “Lawrence General is positioned to move beyond the unprecedented challenges of the last three years. I remain incredibly passionate about the Hospital’s important mission and essential role in health care delivery to Lawrence and the entire Merrimack Valley. I sincerely thank the entire LGH team for their efforts to serve this community.”
Under Wilson’s leadership Lawrence General was able to secure a first-ever issuance of $100 million in investment grade public bonds that enabled the Hospital to build a new surgical building with state-of-the-art operating rooms, an expansive suite of operating and post anesthesia recovery rooms and renovate its 19-bed Intensive Care Unit that provides intensive care close to home and recovered dozens of COVID-19 stricken patients. Wilson embarked on ambitious and successful strategic transformations, embracing opportunities to advance health care delivery, the evidence of which led to Lawrence General’s achievement of national recognition as a Leapfrog 'A' rated hospital, as well as being named by Healthgrades as a top 250 hospital.
Despite the challenging dynamics of serving a community that relies heavily on government payors, Wilson has been a proponent of preserving key services, leading with compassion and a deep appreciation for the important role Lawrence General serves as a stand alone, safety net hospital 30 miles north of Boston serving a socially vulnerable community and the entire Merrimack Valley.
Wilson will work closely with the Board and the leadership team over the next several months to transition her responsibilities. Robin Hynds, RN, MSN, Lawrence General Hospital’s EVP/COO, will serve as interim CEO. The Board will initiate a search process to appoint a permanent CEO.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to thank Deb for her dedication and service to LGH. I am thankful that she is willing to serve LGH in an advisory capacity while pursuing her other interests. During her tenure, Deb played a significant role in elevating access to high quality healthcare for this community, including significant service line growth, a new surgical building with state-of-the-art operating rooms, an upgraded intensive care unit, and most recently, serving the community hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Michael S. Mancuso, chair of the Lawrence General board. “Deb’s advocacy for this hospital, our caregivers and staff, and this community has been instrumental in allowing us to continue to provide exceptional and compassionate care to the patients of Lawrence and the Merrimack Valley,” Mancuso added.