Dr. Laird brings a deep commitment to patient care and nursing excellence.
Matthew R. Foster, MD, MMMDartmouth Health member Valley Regional Hospital (VRH) has appointed Christopher J. Laird, DNP, MBA, FACHE, CENP, CCRN-K, as the hospital’s next chief nursing officer (CNO). Laird began his new role on January 5.
Laird joined VRH from Northern Light Health’s Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) in Bangor, where he served most recently as associate vice president for nursing operations and patient care services. Previously, he was EMMC’s associate vice president for critical care, education and dialysis. Before coming to New England, Laird held a variety of nursing leadership roles in California and started his career in bedside nursing.
Laird earned a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Alaska in 2002. He went on to receive two master’s degrees, in nursing and business administration, from Grand Canyon University in Arizona in 2017. Last year, he graduated from a doctoral program in nursing practice at the University of North Georgia.
“Dr. Laird brings a deep commitment to patient care and nursing excellence,” said Matthew R. Foster, MD, MMM, CEO and president of VRH. “It is clear he is patient advocate and committed to always putting our patients first, uplifting the nursing profession and leading with a compassion, thoughtfulness and emphasis on collaboration. He will make a strong addition to the VRH team, helping us deliver high quality care for the residents of Claremont and other communities we serve.”
“Nurses are the backbone of any hospital. Having a CNO who has worked at multiple levels of nursing is important because it shows nurses that their leader understands the demands of their job, what they bring to the table, and how critical they are to the hospital’s overall success,” said Susan A. Reeves, EdD, RN, CENP, Dartmouth Health’s chief nursing executive. “It was clear through our vetting process that Dr. Laird possesses these qualities and would be ready to lead Day 1. I am thrilled he has joined Dartmouth Health and for the VRH nurses who will benefit from his leadership.”
About Valley Regional Hospital
Valley Regional Hospital, a Dartmouth Health member, has been serving the needs of Sullivan County, NH, for more than 130 years. Evolving with the needs of its community, Valley Regional is a federally- designated critical access hospital with services that include 21-bed inpatient suites and a progressive care unit, 24/7 emergency department, urgent care, lab, rehabilitation services, and imaging. Valley Regional also offers a breadth of outpatient services including primary care, cardiac and pulmonary therapy, behavioral health services, orthopaedics, podiatry, oncology and infusion services, women’s health, and Dartmouth Health Children’s pediatric care. Learn more at vrh.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.