Stuart Marcus, MD, FACS, will be leaving his role as president and chief executive officer of St. Vincent's Health Services in Bridgeport, as he considers other opportunities within Ascension, of which St. Vincent's is a part. Ascension is the nation's largest nonprofit and largest Catholic health system.
"I have been privileged to serve alongside the tremendously talented and compassionate associates and medical staff at St. Vincent's for ten years, and I have tremendous confidence that St. Vincent's is poised to move to an even greater level of success and service to the Bridgeport community," said Dr. Marcus.
"Stuart Marcus is an exceptional, passionate healthcare leader who has been a blessing to St. Vincent's and the Bridgeport community for many years," said Jean M. LaVecchia, Chair of the St. Vincent's Board. "His commitment, dedication and integrity have improved the lives of those who serve at St. Vincent's and those we are privileged to serve."
"While St. Vincent's is losing a dedicated and compassionate leader, I look forward to Ascension's continuing to benefit from Stuart's clinical and operational expertise and his commitment to the Mission of Ascension," said Patricia A. Maryland, Dr.PH, President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Ascension Health, the healthcare delivery subsidiary of Ascension.
Longtime Ascension leader Vince Caponi will now serve as President and CEO of St. Vincent's Health Services. Caponi has enjoyed a long and successful career with Ascension beginning in 1983. He most recently served as interim Wisconsin Ministry Market Executive for Ascension Health. Earlier he led Ascension's St. Vincent in Indianapolis from 1998 to 2013, and later assumed the position of Executive Board Chair for the Central Indiana health system. He also served as Executive Board Chair of Ascension Texas, and he continues to serve in a consultative role to Health City Cayman Islands (HCCI), Ascension's partnership with Narayana Health of India to provide care for underserved populations in the Caribbean.
"We are fortunate to have available within Ascension a leader like Vince Caponi, who brings the requisite skills and experience to lead the St. Vincent's Health Services successfully into the future," Dr. Marcus said.
"As St. Vincent's in Bridgeport continues to move forward, Vince will provide steady leadership and guidance to the associates, physicians and volunteers who provide compassionate, personalized care to members of the community," Dr. Maryland said.
Under Caponi's leadership, St. Vincent in Indianapolis grew from a single campus with a tertiary hospital to a statewide network with hospitals serving many rural areas. His legacy includes developing a high-quality healthcare system, building on local resources and empowering local capabilities to deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare throughout Central Indiana. St. Vincent became one of Indiana's largest healthcare employers, and Caponi led efforts to develop innovative healthcare solutions for employers and commercial markets across the state.
Earlier in his career, Caponi served in executive leadership roles at two other Ascension hospitals - St. Vincent's Birmingham in Alabama, and St. Joseph Hospital in Augusta, Georgia - as well as hospitals in Michigan.
"Most importantly, Vince has distinguished himself as a virtuous servant leader," Dr. Maryland said. "His strong faith and his alignment with, and support of, the principles of human dignity and the common good translate to a leadership style that promotes an authentic community of work."
"I'm excited about working closely with the dedicated physicians and other caregivers of St. Vincent's in Bridgeport as the health system plots its future course in an evolving healthcare environment," Caponi said. "We will maintain our focus on delivering high-quality, affordable care with an enhanced patient and provider experience."
Dr. Marcus was named President and CEO of St. Vincent's Health Services in 2014. He also served as Ascension Ministry Market Leader for New York and Connecticut from January 2014 to May 2015.
After joining St. Vincent's in 2006, Dr. Marcus was named President of St. Vincent's Medical Center in 2012. Prior to that, he served as Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of Oncology at St. Vincent's. He also serves as professor of surgery for the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. He was instrumental in establishing St. Vincent's as the principal clinical partner for the school.
A specialist in gastrointestinal cancer surgery, Dr. Marcus led the development of the Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. Vincent's, which opened in 2010.
Dr. Marcus joined St. Vincent's in August 2006 from New York University Medical Center, having served as Program Director of the General Surgery training program there and Chief of Surgery at Bellevue Hospital Center. Throughout this time, he coordinated the integration of cancer services at Bellevue Hospital Center, creating a multi-disciplinary cancer center.
He received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, was trained in general surgery at NYU/Bellevue and completed a fellowship in surgical oncology research at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. A Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Marcus is also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and Alpha Omega Medical Honor Society.
Dr. Marcus holds many professional memberships including the American College of Surgeons, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Society of Surgical Oncology, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, and the American Hepato-Pancreato Biliary Association. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed medical journals, and is a speaker and presenter at conferences across the country. He also was elected to the Connecticut Hospital Association Board of Trustees for 2015-2016.