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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 17, 2025 21 MONTEZ CARTER M ontez Carter has led Trinity Health of New England since October 2022, during a period of financial strain and organizational change. Carter has been leading a reorganization of THONE, the third-largest hospital opera- tor in Connecticut. It oversees St. Francis and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation hospitals in Hartford, St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs, along with Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. THONE's Connecticut operations reported $1.9 billion in operating revenue and an operating loss of $180.4 million in fiscal 2024, according to audited financial statements. Recent changes included eliminating the position of president at St. Mary's Hospital JEFFREY FLAKS J effrey Flaks, president and CEO of Hartford HealthCare, continues to lead the state's second-largest health system as it expands its statewide footprint and adopts new technology. Flaks, who became CEO in 2019, has em- phasized growth, innovation and workforce development during his tenure. He oversees an organization that includes seven hospitals, physician groups and hundreds of outpatient sites located throughout the state. And that footprint will likely expand. Flaks is leading Hartford HealthCare's efforts to purchase Manchester Memorial and Rockville General hospitals, which have been mired in uncertainty amid their parent company Prospect Medical Hold- ings' bankruptcy case. The additions will grow HHC's patient base and operating revenue, which totaled $6.5 billion in fiscal 2024, according to audited financial statements. That was up 8.3% from a year earlier. HHC this year received the American Hospital Association's Quest for Quality Prize, which is awarded to systems show- ing progress in patient safety and care standards. HHC reported a 70% reduction in hospital-acquired infections between 2015 and 2023. It has also expanded its use of artificial intelligence through a Center for AI Inno- vation in Healthcare, partnering with MIT, Oxford and Google to integrate new tools into clinical practice. In August, HHC held an inaugural AI summit that attracted 300 people. The event focused on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the healthcare industry. Flaks joined Hartford HealthCare in 2004 as MidState Medical Center's chief operat- ing officer. He earned a master's degree in health services administration from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree from Ithaca College. effort was necessary to navigate "a rapidly changing healthcare landscape." O'Connor oversees the largest health sys- tem in the state, which reported $7.2 billion in operating revenue in fiscal year 2024, according to audited financial statements. It includes Yale New Haven Hospital, Bridge- port Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, and Westerly Hospital in Rhode Island. He has had a long career in health care. Before becoming CEO of YNHH, he held sev- eral key roles, such as president, executive vice president and chief operating officer. O'Connor previously also served as president and CEO of the Hospital of St. Raphael. CHRISTOPHER O'CONNOR I t's been a difficult couple of years for Yale New Haven Health CEO Christopher O'Connor. But despite all of his system's fiscal and legal challenges, he still can smile about this: Yale New Haven Hospital remained the state's top-rated facility for 2025-26 in U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Hospitals rankings, which were published in July. That may help take some of the sting out of trying to unwind YNHH from its $435 million purchase of Manchester Memorial, Rockville General and Waterbury hospitals, all owned by Prospect Medical Holdings. The two sides finally worked out a settle- ment agreement in September, announcing they were seeking court approval for YNHH to pay $45 million to resolve the litigation between them. In addition, YNHH announced in March it was restructuring its operations, including eliminating an unknown number of posi- tions. That was followed in July by the sys- tem offering voluntary retirement packages to certain senior employees, stating that DR. MANISHA JUTHANI D r. Manisha Juthani has guided Connecticut's public-health response during a time of uncertainty over national vaccine policy and growing skepticism among patients. Appointed commissioner of the state Department of Public Health in 2021, she oversees an agency responsible for infectious-disease control, environmental health and emergency preparedness. This fall, Juthani brought together a panel of physicians and public-policy experts to examine the state's vaccine strategy after new federal recommenda- tions altered long-standing guidance on COVID-19 boosters and childhood shots. The discussion highlighted how shifting advice can confuse both patients and providers. Connecticut has responded by keeping its own vaccination policies in place and coordinating with insurers and pharma- cies to maintain coverage. The state also joined six neighboring states and New York City in forming the Northeast Public Continued on next page POWER 25 | HEALTH CARE Spotlighting healthcare industry power players C onnecticut's healthcare landscape is being reshaped by workforce pres- sures, reimbursement challenges, rising drug costs, consolidation and fast-moving technology from AI to telehealth. In this week's issue, Hartford Business Journal publishes its sixth annual Power 25 Health Care list, highlighting leaders who are tackling these issues and setting the agenda for the year ahead. This isn't an awards section. HBJ's editorial team selected a mix of established decision-makers and emerging voices. We welcome your feedback and sugges- tions for next year's list. GreG Bordonaro Editor gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com in Waterbury and appointing Dr. Robert Roose to the new role of president of THONE's community hospitals, oversee- ing facilities in Waterbury, Springfield and Stafford Springs. THONE also entered into a partnership with California-based Vituity, the nation's largest physician-owned medical group, to manage emergency and hospitalist services at its three Connecticut hos- pitals. The move, which brought nearly 180 Trinity Health providers under Vituity employment, drew scrutiny from state lawmakers, though Trinity says services remain fully staffed. At the same time, THONE has consoli- dated services, including state-approved closures of two outpatient behavioral health offices in Hartford, and a pro- posed closure of its outpatient cardiac and pulmonary rehab facility in Enfield, citing workforce shortages and declining patient demand. Carter began his career as a pharma- cist, then moved into leadership roles within Michigan-based Trinity Health's organization. He served as president and CEO of St. Mary's Health Care System in Georgia before starting in his current role. He holds a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Mississippi and an MBA from the University of Alabama.