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22 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 Andrew Agwunobi W ith apologies to Joni Mitchell, sometimes you don't know who you've got 'til he's gone. After watching him depart two years ago to accept an executive role at health insurer Humana, UConn Health in May brought back Dr. Andrew Agwunobi to serve as its CEO and executive vice president of health affairs. Agwunobi previously held the dual roles of interim president of the University of Connecticut and CEO of UConn Health, which includes John Dempsey Hospital and dental and medical schools. He left to work for Humana in early 2022, after starting with UConn Health in 2014. Agwunobi, a pediatrician with an MBA from Stanford Business School, was selected again for the CEO/EVP role at UConn Health after an exten- sive national search. He succeeded Dr. Bruce Liang, who had been named interim CEO after Agwunobi's departure and who still serves as dean of the UConn School of Medicine. During his previous eight-year tenure as UConn Health CEO, Agwunobi was known for doubling patient net revenues and overseeing an $800 million infrastructure project. He returns at a time when UConn Health, which has struggled finan- cially for years, has been working toward generating more of its own revenue and reducing its reliance on state financial support. But it has a long way to go, and Agwunobi will be a key voice in determining the health center's future direction. A report issued by Gov. Ned Lamont earlier this year concluded the state should explore selling John Dempsey Hospital, linking it in partnership with a private acute- care network, or other options to keep the UConn Health Center afloat financially. Valerie Powell- Stafford V alerie L. Powell-Stafford is a new hospital leader in the region. In May, she was named president of St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, which is part of Trinity Health Of New England. She officially started in her new role on June 3, when she succeeded Thomas Burke. Powell-Staf- ford has more than 25 years of experience, most recently serving as presi- dent and CEO of HCA Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. In addition to leading St. Francis Hospital, Powell-Stafford also oversees Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital in Hartford. She had served as president and CEO of HCA Northside Hospital since 2019. During her tenure, HCA was named one of Healthgrades "Ameri- ca's Best 250 Hospitals" and earned the Patient Safety Excellence Award for 2024, ranking among the top 5% of all hospitals for clinical perfor- mance and patient safety. She also spearheaded recruiting new physicians, implementing a robotic surgical program and developing a nursing school on the hospital campus. Before joining HCA Northside, Powell-Stafford served in a number of leadership roles with other HCA Healthcare Florida hospitals, including as CEO of Englewood Community Hospital, chief operating officer and ethics and compliance officer at Blake Medical Center and chief operating officer of Doctors Hospital. Sonja LaBarbera G aylord Specialty Healthcare, a provider of rehabilitation services, has been under- going a transformation under CEO Sonja LaBarbera. In February, LaBarbera debuted the latest addition to the organiza- tion's Walling- ford campus: the Institute for Advanced Reha- bilitation, which includes various hubs, such as a home for the state's first physiatrist residency program. It also includes The Center for Education, which combines advanced clinical education and training and professional development for Gaylord staff, peer institutions and medical professionals nationwide. "We wanted to create a space here at Gaylord where our staff could come together with leaders from the community in biotech research, academia, our own research team, our own physiatry residents," said LaBarbera of the new institute. "So we have the first residency program in the state of Connecticut for rehab physicians, where the nursing educa- tion, physician education and therapy education merges with cutting-edge research and technology." LaBarbera has led a multiyear, multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion at Gaylord, which includes a 137-bed hospital that provides reha- bilitation services to patients who have experienced a variety of health situations, from accidents to strokes. LaBarbera became the first woman to ever lead Gaylord when she stepped into the CEO post in early 2019. She started working at Gaylord in 2005, with her first role as director of inpatient therapy. Her background is as a speech language pathologist, and she rose through the hospital ranks, serving as chief operating officer prior to her current role. Gaylord has also expanded its footprint beyond Wallingford, with locations in Cheshire, Cromwell, Madison and North Haven. In fiscal 2022, the not-for-profit Gaylord Hospital reported 1,141 employees, $92.3 million in revenue and a $1.8 million surplus, according to its 990 tax form. Vincent Capece Jr. V incent Capece Jr. leads Middlesex Health and its flagship 275-bed Middlesex Hospital. He's in a unique position because he runs one of the few remaining independent health systems in Connecticut. Middlesex Health, a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, offers cancer center, emer- gency depart- ment, surgery, urgent and primary care services, among others. Capece has been vocal about the industry's post-pandemic struggles. In March, he submitted testimony to the state legislature's Public Health Committee detailing the financial impact of the pandemic and how its "lingering effects have been staggering." Capece submitted the testimony in opposition to a hospital regulatory reform bill that he said "increased regulatory over- sight and control over hospitals without providing any assistance to address the many issues impacting hospitals (i.e., the healthcare work- POWER 25 | Healthcare Protecting physicians & facilities since 1984 Integris Group provides the healthcare community with the highest quality insurance products, services, and business solutions. 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