Steve, Dan and Patricia are invaluable leaders for Dartmouth Health during a transformational juncture in healthcare, statewide and nationally.
Joanne M. Conroy, MDTwo members of Dartmouth Health leadership and a Dartmouth Health member hospital board member were honored at the New Hampshire Hospital Association’s (NHHA) annual meeting earlier this week. Chief strategy officer Stephen J. LeBlanc, chief financial officer Daniel P. Jantzen, and Valley Regional Hospital board vice chair Patricia Putnam are among the 2025 recipients of NHHA’s Awards of Excellence.
LeBlanc was recognized with the James A. Hamilton Founder’s Award, NHHA’s highest honor, recognizing outstanding service to healthcare on behalf of the people of New Hampshire. NHHA selected LeBlanc for this award for his leadership in the creation of the New England Alliance for Health, carrying out Dartmouth Health’s commitment to rural health delivery, and leading Dartmouth Health’s involvement in payment reform efforts, going back to the creation of an Accountable Care Organization that allowed other Granite State hospitals to participate and learn from Dartmouth Health’s ACO experience.
Jantzen received NHHA’s President’s Award for making an exceptional contribution directly to NHHA, playing an active role in furthering the purposes of NHHA, and adding maximum value to the field of healthcare. NHHA highlighted Jantzen’s contributions during its work with the state to achieve a new agreement for the Medicaid Enhancement Tax/Disproportionate Share Program. Jantzen was part of a small group that met daily to craft a mutually acceptable agreement for the state and local hospitals.
Putnam was recognized with the Outstanding Trustee of the Year Award, which is presented to a trustee of a NHHA member institution who demonstrates exemplary hospital trusteeship, and who serves as an example to encourage others in the pursuit of excellence in hospital governance. Putnam was instrumental in guiding Valley Regional’s successful affiliation with Dartmouth Health and remains an active member of the community, committed to ensuring sustainability, affordability and access to care for small and underserved communities in the Claremont area.
“Steve, Dan and Patricia are invaluable leaders for Dartmouth Health during a transformational juncture in healthcare, statewide and nationally,” said Dartmouth Health CEO and president Joanne M. Conroy, MD. “They each bring a unique set of skills to their roles and share a commitment to always acting in the best interest of our patients and the health of our communities, now and into the future. I’m proud to call them colleagues and thrilled that NHHA has celebrated their contributions to healthcare in New Hampshire.”
“We are honored to be able to celebrate the true heart of healthcare: the tireless dedication and bold leadership of our award recipients,” said NHHA president Steve Ahnen. “They represent the gold standard for elevating patient care, championing innovation and deepening the vital trust between our hospitals and the communities we are privileged to serve.”
About Valley Regional Hospital
Founded in 1893, Valley Regional Hospital (VRH) is a nonprofit, critical access hospital located in Claremont, New Hampshire. As a proud member of the Dartmouth Health system, VRH offers a broad range of services, including primary care and specialized care through the Kane Center. The hospital features 21 private patient suites, with 4 bed progressive care capacity to accommodate patients who require continuous, higher-level care. Other offerings include a state-of-the-art emergency department, urgent care services, cancer care delivered in a dedicated infusion suite, comprehensive rehabilitation services, advanced imaging technologies, on-site laboratory, and much more. In collaboration with community partners, VRH works to address service gaps and enhance population health. The hospital fosters a culture rooted in integrity, excellence, accountability, and compassion, which guides both our workplace environment and the care we provide. These core values empower us to continually improve the health of the community and strengthen our team, ensuring that we deliver exceptional care at every step of our patients’ journey. In 2021, VRH was honored as Nonprofit Organization of the Year by the Claremont Chamber of Commerce. The hospital has also earned prestigious accolades, including the CMS 5-Star Rating and the IPRO Award for excellence in healthcare quality, care coordination, and safety initiatives.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.