Joanne M. Conroy, MD, CEO and president of Dartmouth Health, and Lauren A. Geddes Wirth, MD, president and CEO of New London Hospital, have been named to Becker's Hospital Review's 2026 "Women hospital and health system presidents and CEOs to know" list.
The annual list recognizes women leading hospitals and health systems across the country who are expanding access to care, advancing equity and inclusion, and driving meaningful improvements in care.
Conroy has served as president and CEO of Dartmouth Health since 2017, leading New Hampshire’s largest private employer and only academic health system. Under her leadership, Dartmouth Health has expanded its network of member hospitals and clinics, completed major infrastructure projects to increase patient access and strengthen clinical innovation, and continued to advance academic medicine and healthcare delivery throughout northern New England.
Wirth has led New London Hospital in expanding breast care, infusion and community care programs to improve access to care in rural communities across Greater Lake Sunapee Region. Under her leadership, the hospital’s emergency department achieved patient satisfaction scores ranking in the top 1% nationally, and the hospital’s Express Care Plus ranked among three performing organizations nationwide in its category for sustained excellence in patient experience.
This marks the second consecutive year that Conroy and Wirth have been recognized on Becker’s annual list. The full list can be read on the Becker's Hospital Review 236 women hospital and health system presidents and CEOs to know | 2026 web page.
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.
About New London Hospital
The New London Hospital Association (NLHA) is a proud member of Dartmouth Health. It consists of New London Hospital (NLH), located in New London, NH, and Newport Health Center (NHC), located in Newport, NH. NLH is a critical access hospital, and has been serving 15 communities within the Greater Lake Sunapee region in central New Hampshire for more than 100 years. NLH provides a broad range of services in a patient and family-centered environment, from primary care to specialized clinical services. NHC is a rural health clinic that offers primary care and numerous specialty clinical services. Patients of NLH and NHC have ready access to the full breadth of Dartmouth Health services. NLH and NHC are dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality care and improving the health and well-being of the communities they serve. For more information, visit newlondonhospital.org.