Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, Vt., has hired Peter J. Wright as the hospital’s new chief executive officer. He’s expected to start in January.
Wright will take on the position vacated by Dean French in August. Chief operating officer Jonathan Billings had been serving in the top leadership role on an interim basis.
Wright takes the helm as leaders of Northwestern Medical Center are struggling to find financial footing after six years in the red. The hospital suffered a 4.3% operating loss on a $119 million budget in 2022, an improvement over a double-digit loss in 2020.
The hospital is undergoing an $11 million renovation of its emergency department in 2023 in order to add 2,400 square feet and additional negative-pressure private rooms. The hospital also recently ended its affiliation with primary care clinics in Georgia, Vt., and St. Albans and pediatric clinics in St. Albans and Enosburg, Vt.
Wright has a history in Vermont, having previously served as the senior director of planning, development and medical group operations at Copley Hospital in Morrisville, Vt. He comes to his new job after most recently leading Bridgton and Rumford hospitals, two rural facilities that are part of Central Maine Healthcare.
Prior to that, he was chief operating officer of Littleton (N.H.) Regional Hospital and president of Valley Regional Healthcare in Claremont.
Wright’s experiences “make him familiar with Vermont’s complex healthcare environment and means he is knowledgeable about how we go about ensuring (Northwestern Medical Center) is financially sustainable in that environment,” said Jake Holzscheiter, president of the board of directors in a press release issued Friday.