Northern Light EMMC picks Aroostook County hospital leader as new president
A hospital leader from Aroostook County will lead Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor as its next president.
Gregory T. LaFrancois, who currently serves as president at Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle, will start in his new role on July 1. He will also continue working as Northern Light Health’s senior vice president.
LaFrancois joined Northern Light Health in 2016 after serving as president and CEO at St. Aloisius Medical Center in Harvey, North Dakota.
He has more than 25 years in health care, and his understanding of rural communities makes him a good fit for this role, according to a Tuesday announcement from EMMC.
That includes serving as chief financial officer of Cumberland Hall Hospital in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and CEO at Prairie Saint John’s, a psychiatric hospital in Fargo, North Dakota, according to his LinkedIn profile. LaFrancois retired from the United States Army with 20 years of active service in 2007, then worked in health care leadership since then, according to EMMC.
Northern Light EMMC’s last president, Rand O’Leary, stepped down in March to lead a hospital in his home state of Michigan. Tim Dentry, Northern Light Health CEO and president, stepped in as an interim leader April 1.
LaFrancois has the experience and passion to lead the Bangor hospital — which serves patients throughout central, eastern and northern Maine — in a positive direction, officials from the hospital system said.
“Eastern Maine Medical Center is so important to all our rural hospitals,” LaFrancois said in a statement. “I have relied on EMMC to coordinate the full spectrum of care for our communities in Aroostook County. I am excited to have the opportunity to positively affect care in communities throughout Maine.”
LaFrancois pledged to “continue to be a highly visible and accessible leader.”
He and his wife, Danhong Zhao, will relocate to the Bangor region.
Jay Reynolds, senior physician executive at AR Gould Hospital, will take over as an interim leader at the hospital July 1.
A search committee led by Heather Furth, chair of EMMC’s board of trustees, selected LaFrancois from a pool of other candidates from various backgrounds to lead the hospital, according to the announcement. It’s unclear how many candidates there were.
The interview process included providers, nurses and other EMMC employees. Community members and Northern Light Health board members, among others, also participated.
“Greg’s understanding of Maine’s health care environment, coupled with his passion for engagement with staff, are exciting additions to the EMMC leadership team,” Dentry said. “He is a patient-focused leader who fosters cultures of learning and growth.”
Northern Light Health is also searching for a new president to lead Acadia Hospital in Bangor.
President Scott Oxley, who was also Northern Light Health’s senior vice president, stepped down May 1 to lead the Galen Cole Family Foundation. John Campbell, Acadia Hospital’s senior physician executive and vice president, is serving as interim president.