Senior Leadership Team
Karen Ahearn, RN, MPA, NEA-BC, Interim President
An experienced nursing leader and hospital executive, Karen Ahearn joined Carney Hospital from Community Medical Center/Barnabas Health System, a 600 bed community hospital in Toms River, New Jersey, where she served as the chief nursing officer. Ahearn’s experience also includes having served as the director of Women and Children’s Services with Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey, as well as the director of Nursing with Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey, among other leadership posts.
Justine DeFronzo, MBA, BSN, RN, Interim Chief Nursing Officer
Justine comes to Norwood Hospital with over 20 years of progressive achievement in the community hospital setting. She is an accomplished nursing executive with a passion for creating a collaborative professional practice environment with an emphasis on high-quality patient care and safety. Prior to joining Norwood Hospital, Justine served as the Associate Chief Nursing Officer at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts where she was responsible for inpatient medical surgical and telemetry services, pediatrics, critical care unit, transitional care unit, behavioral health unit, nurse staffing office, dialysis, and the administrative nursing supervisors. Justine is also experienced in Emergency Services having served as Director of Emergency Services at Emerson Hospital and, previously in the same role at Heywood Hospital in Gardner, Massachusetts.Justine spent the early part of her career at Lowell General Hospital, serving in a variety of nursing roles with progressive responsibility, including Pediatrics, Emergency Department, Administrative Nursing Supervisor, and Clinical Nurse Manager – Pediatrics and Special Care Nursery. She was instrumental in achieving Magnet designation for the hospital.
Justine received both her Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Rivier University and is a fellow of the MHA Leadership College. She is a member of the Organization of Nurse Leaders and is on the Management of Practice Committee and the IT subcommittee. Justine is dedicated to community involvement and volunteerism and has been on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell for several years and is currently serving as Chair.
Brian Smith, Chief Financial Officer
Smith is an experienced professional with demonstrated proficiency in all aspects of health care financial management. Prior to joining Carney Hospital in 2019, Smith was the CFO at a hospital in Oklahoma City, OK. He has worked with for profit and not for profit systems in financial leadership roles across the country including Oklahoma, Nevada, Texas, Tennessee and Alaska.
Lawrence Hotes, MD, FACP, FACE, Chief Medical Officer
Lawrence Hotes, MD, brings a wealth of clinical and administrative experience to Carney Hospital.
For the past decade, he has served as the Chief Medical Officer of New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, Massachusetts and as past president of the New England Sinai Hospital Physician Corporation. He currently serves as a board member and vice president of the National Association of Long Term Hospitals and he led the development of the New England Sinai Hospital satellite facility at Carney Hospital.
Dr. Hotes is a member of the faculty of the Tufts University School of Medicine and a lecturer with the Bouve College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Northeastern University.
Dr. Hotes earned his medical degree from George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC. He completed both his internship and residency at the Boston University Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
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