Cooley Dickinson Hospital Names New President, Chief Operating Officer
NORTHAMPTON — After an extensive national search, Kevin Whitney has been selected as president and chief operating officer for Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH), effective March 15.
Whitney currently serves as vice president of Community Operations for the Mass General Brigham (MGB) Community Division. In addition, since last May, he has been serving as interim vice president, Patient Care Services (PCS) and chief nursing officer (CNO) for CDH, where he has helped advance quality and safety initiatives, enhanced nurse staffing, and accelerated recruitment and retention efforts.
“I am confident in Kevin’s ability to lead CDH in delivering the safest, highest-quality care and an exceptional experience for patients,” said CarolAnn Williams, president of the Mass General Brigham Community Division and senior vice president of Operations for MGB.
In his new role, Whitney will oversee hospital operations and inpatient and outpatient clinical care, including the VNA and Hospice, budgeting, and operating performance.
With more than 34 years of experience in healthcare, Whitney is a seasoned clinician and an enthusiastic, strategic, and innovative leader in both community and academic medical-center settings, with proven quality, operational outcomes, and financial performance. Prior to his current roles, he served for two years as chief operating officer for MGB Healthcare at Home.
From 2017 to 2022, Whitney served as senior vice president, PCS and CNO for Newton-Wellesley Hospital, providing strategic and operational leadership for nursing and PCS. From 2011 to 2017, he served as associate chief nurse for Surgical, Orthopedics, and Neurosciences at Massachusetts General Hospital. Prior to joining MGB, he worked at Emerson Hospital for 20 years, serving in clinical and leadership roles, including vice president, PCS and CNO.
Whitney earned his doctor of nursing practice, executive leadership degree from the MGH Institute of Health Professions; a master’s degree in health care administration from Framingham State University; a bachelor’s degree in nursing from UMass Lowell; and an associate degree in paramedic technology from Northeastern University. He is board-certified as a nurse executive – advanced and certified emergency nurse, and is a member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
In 2024, Whitney received the UMass Lowell Solomont School of Nursing Alumni Award, recognizing his significant contributions to the nursing profession and epitomizing the university’s values of hard work, integrity, compassion, and stewardship.