Christopher O'Connor to become CEO of Yale New Haven Health

New Haven, CT (August 11, 2020) – Working in direct partnership with Health System CEO Marna Borgstrom, Christopher O’Connor will become the new president of Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS) effective October 5, 2020. O’Connor, who has been the executive vice president and chief operating officer for YNHHS since 2012, served as the president and CEO of the Hospital of Saint Raphael prior to its integration with Yale New Haven Hospital that year.

“Chris is an extraordinary person who is widely recognized for his leadership skills and strategic insights,” said Borgstrom. “Chris truly is a courageous leader who effectively worked himself out of a job at Saint Raphael’s doing what was right for that organization, its staff and its patients. It was a privilege to be able to attract him to Yale New Haven when the acquisition was complete.”

A New Haven native, O’Connor has had a stellar career. Prior to being named president and CEO of the Hospital of Saint Raphael in 2009, O’Connor served as president of Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Before that, he was the vice president of clinical operations for Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana, where his leadership successfully guided that organization though the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to take on this leadership role, working directly with some of the most talented people in healthcare,” said O’Connor. “There is so much opportunity ahead of us and I appreciate the faith that Marna and the Board have shown in me to get the job done.”

O’Connor will be working directly with colleagues from each the Health System’s Delivery Networks, as well as the Yale School of Medicine to advance high quality care throughout the region.

“The Board of Trustees has worked closely with Marna Borgstrom to find the best and most qualified person to take on the leadership of YNHHS. We have found that person in Chris O’Connor,” said Vince Calarco, chair of YNHHS. “I have worked with Chris for many years and know how talented he is and how much his leadership will mean to the continued success of the Health System. He is the right person at the right time for Yale New Haven Health.”

As chief operating officer for Yale New Haven Health, O’Connor has led a number of critical initiatives involving the Health System’s growth, including the affiliation with Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in 2016 and the acquisition of Milford Hospital by Bridgeport Hospital in 2019. O’Connor also serves on the Boards of Greenwich Hospital and Northeast Medical Group; and previously served on the Lawrence + Memorial Health Board. O’Connor received both his bachelor’s degree and and his master’s degree in Hospital Administration from George Washington University. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves as vice chair of the Connecticut Hospital Association.

O’Connor recently served as president of the Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts.

Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Connecticut, is recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of the communities it serves. YNHHS includes five hospitals – Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly and Yale New Haven hospitals, several specialty networks and Northeast Medical Group, a non-profit medical foundation with several hundred community-based and hospital-employed physicians. YNHHS is affiliated with Yale University and Yale Medicine, the clinical practice of the Yale School of Medicine and the largest academic multi-specialty practice in New England. Yale New Haven Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of Yale School of Medicine. www.ynhhs.org