University of Vermont names new chief nursing officer, and other newsmakers

The University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington has appointed Mary Kate Fitzpatrick as its next chief nursing officer.

Fitzpatrick, 51, will begin her new role in September and will also serve as a clinical associate professor at the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She will take the title from interim CNO Eileen Whalen, also the hospital's president and COO, following a six-month national search.

Before joining UVM, Fitzpatrick was clinical director for neurosciences, women's health and neonatal nursing at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She also served as trauma system coordinator for Delaware's public health division and serves as an international consultant for trauma and emergency-care providers.

Leslie Hirsch has been appointed president of St. Peter's Healthcare System in New Brunswick, N.J.

Hirsch, 62, will assume his new role Aug. 24, joining the health system after serving as president and CEO of St. Clare's Health System in Denville, N.J., for seven years.

The president's position at St. Peter's is separate from CEO Ronald Rak's role and was created last year at Rak's request. Hirsch will report to Rak and be responsible for the daily management of the system.

Hirsch has spent much of his career in faith-based systems, leading St. Joseph Hospital in Denver and the Touro Infirmary, a Jewish hospital in New Orleans. He also served as executive VP and COO of Cooper Health System in Camden, N.J., before becoming that system's president and CEO.

Hirsch also serves as chairman of the New Jersey Hospital Association Board of Trustees.

Adam Hawkins has been appointed VP of sales and marketing at CynergisTek, an Austin, Texas-based healthcare information-technology security consulting firm.

Hawkins, 32, was promoted to his new role this month. He originally joined the company as director of client services in 2012, and helped the firm develop a team to help restructure its sales and marketing efforts.

CynergisTek has experienced a 70% increase in revenue over the last calendar year, the firm said. Hawkins will help the company's sales force keep up with increased demand amid several high-profile cyberattacks in the healthcare arena.

Before joining CynergisTek, Hawkins was a regional sales executive at e-prescribing vendor DrFirst and at Diebold, a managed-services company. He also served as director of sales and technology at VisionTree, which offers data-management software.

Dr. Mark Easley, an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., has begun his role as president of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society.

Easley, 49, who last week started his term with the 2,000-member organization, plans to focus on the society's strategic development and push for better education for orthopedic surgeons and patients on musculoskeletal disorders of the foot and ankle, according to the organization.

He currently serves as one of the directors of the Duke Foot and Ankle Fellowship program.

Have news to share about executive comings, goings or promotions? Email Assistant Managing Editor David May at [email protected].