Saint Vincent Hospital Appoints Newest Members of Executive Leadership Team

Worcester, MA – Saint Vincent Hospital welcomes the newest members of its senior leadership team, Chief Nursing Officer Jay Prosser and Chief Operating Officer Paul Smith. Jay has been serving as Interim Chief Nursing Officer since November, and Paul began his new role as Chief Operating Officer of Saint Vincent Hospital and Tenet Healthcare’s Massachusetts Market earlier in the fall.

“We are thrilled that Jay and Paul brought their talents to Saint Vincent,” Carolyn Jackson said. “In just a few short months, they have made countless contributions to this hospital and the people we serve. They have done a stellar job during a challenging time, and I know they will both continue making this hospital an even better place to receive care.”

Jay Prosser, DNP, RN, CCRN-K, NE-BC, joined Saint Vincent from Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham, Alabama, where he served as Associate Chief Nursing Officer. Jay progressed through several nursing leadership roles, including administrative director of patient care services, during his time at Brookwood Baptist. Before joining the team in Birmingham, Jay spent 11 years in various nursing leadership roles at Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Alabama.

Jay is passionate about the quality of patient care and optimizing nursing practice. Jay’s research, scheduled to be published this fall, promotes patient safety by reducing failure to rescue events. As Chairman of the Commission on Professional Issues for the Alabama State Nurses Association, Jay championed passage of a law that made assaulting a healthcare worker a class III felony in the state of Alabama. Jay received his Doctor of Nursing Practice from Troy University, and received both a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Administration from the University of North Alabama.

Paul Smith arrived at Saint Vincent Hospital after a successful seven-year tenure with Steward Health Care, which culminated in his role as Chief Operating Officer of Steward’s flagship hospital in Massachusetts, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston. During his tenure at Saint Elizabeth’s, Paul helped lead the organization’s response to the COVID 19 pandemic, worked with physician leaders to grow and develop service lines, and guided a number of large-scale capital projects.

Prior to his role at Saint Elizabeth’s, Paul was the Vice President of Operations at Holy Family Hospital, and the Senior Director of Surgical Services for Steward Medical Group. Before joining Steward, Paul

spent 10 years at Cambridge Health Alliance, a three-campus safety net system based in Cambridge, where he held a number of progressive leadership positions. Paul graduated from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, and holds a Master of Science in Health Care Management from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Jay will have ultimate responsibility for all nursing care at Saint Vincent, and Paul will have responsibility for the hospital’s procedural areas, which include many nurses. Both of them will be instrumental in charting a new course for Saint Vincent as we bring those nurses who have been on strike back to work.