Three president and chief executive officers of Dartmouth Health member hospitals were named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s annual ranking of rural hospital and health system presidents and CEOs to know. Susan E. Mooney, MD, MS, FACOG, CEO and president of Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital (APD), Joseph L. Perras, MD, CEO and president of Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) and Thomas A. Dee, FACHE, CEO and president of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), were among the 118 healthcare leaders recognized for driving growth by expanding services, upgrading facilities and building skilled teams.
Mooney, an obstetrician-gynecologist by training, practiced at APD from 2000 to 2005. She left for two years to pursue fellowship training, then rejoined APD as medical director of quality, and later assuming the chief medical officer role. She became president and CEO in 2013. Becker’s noted that Mooney’s leadership has contributed to the hospital seeing the highest employee engagement rating within the Dartmouth Health system for the past two years, and that she created a diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging coordinator position in 2022, fostering an environment where everyone feels seen and heard.
Dee has been with SVMC since 2010, overseeing the hospital’s onboarding to Dartmouth Health in 2023, making it the system’s second Vermont-based hospital. Dee provides the strategic leadership necessary to ensure the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care that meets community needs and responsibly utilizes fiscal, human and physical resources. He oversees the planning, directing and management of current operations, financial sustainability, future growth and program development. Becker’s highlighted his support for physicians, providers, nurses and staff through recruitment, development, compliance education and implementation, and continuing education opportunities.
Perras became CEO and president of Cheshire in 2023 after serving in the same role at Dartmouth Health member Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center for six years. He is an internal medicine physician by training. Becker's noted that, under Perras, Cheshire provides the highest quality care in the safest possible environment for its staff and patients. Cheshire is the largest provider of healthcare in the county and serves as a regional referral center for parts of New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. Under Perras’ leadership, Cheshire has committed to its people, patients and community through growth of clinical service lines and long-term financial sustainability.
To view the full list of honorees, visit bit.ly/4niAXqL.
About Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) advances the health and wellness of individuals across New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region through outstanding care and exceptional service. Cheshire teams deliver an impressive range of clinical services that support the community's needs. As a member of Dartmouth Health, Cheshire is able to provide services far exceeding those of a typical rural hospital, including extensive programs in primary care, cancer care, cardiology, orthopaedics, and public health. Cheshire patients are also able to access hundreds of highly trained specialists and a depth of clinical and technical resources through its collaboration with Dartmouth Health. Cheshire’s clinical practice is distinguished by an exceptional staff, a strong commitment to safety and quality, and a culture that values the contribution of every staff member and volunteer. Cheshire is the area's largest healthcare provider and leading employer. Along with the services delivered on their Keene campus and satellite locations, the Medical Center partners with local organizations to provide vital services and programs throughout the region. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit cheshiremed.org.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.