Denise Jordan Elected to Massachusetts Health & Hospital Assoc. Board of Trustees

SPRINGFIELD — Denise Jordan, through her role as a trustee of Baystate Health, was elected to the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Assoc. (MHA) board of trustees on Jan. 30. MHA is the united voice for the Commonwealth’s hospitals, health systems, and healthcare providers. Each term, one of MHA’s board seats is reserved for a trustee from one of its member organizations.

“We are fortunate to have Denise’s extraordinary experience as a community leader guiding our board and the millions of people it touches,” MHA President and CEO Steve Walsh said.“She will help us ensure the patient remains at the center of every conversation, statewide initiative, and policy reform our Commonwealth undertakes.”

Jordan will help support the recovery of local hospitals and health systems, all of which have absorbed a relentless series of pressures dating back to the beginning of the pandemic. The board will advocate with a united front to ease the capacity pressures, workforce shortages, and administrative burdens that are now challenging timely patient care across the Commonwealth, and to restore financial stability to the state’s most important sector.

In the coming year, MHA and its board will also build upon Massachusetts’ world-renowned legacy for healthcare innovation. Its priorities will include advancing state-of-the-art care outside the hospital, reimagining what an empowered healthcare profession looks like, and closing patient-care disparities in new and creative ways.

“Healthcare begins and ends not in our hospitals, but in our neighborhoods. It is my honor to help connect communities and providers as a member of the MHA board,” Jordan said. “I believe in the promise of our healthcare system and the unique power it has to bring people together, advocate for their needs, and help them lead the successful lives they deserve.”

Jordan has served as executive director of the Springfield Housing Authority (SHA), the Commonwealth’s third-largest housing authority, since 2018. SHA promotes adequate and affordable housing, economic opportunity, and a suitable living environment free from discrimination in Springfield. Prior to that role, Jordan was the city of Springfield’s chief of staff and served for more than 10 years with Mayor Domenic Sarno. She is also ingrained within numerous community organizations, including co-founding the 5A youth football program and the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition.

“Baystate Health has been fortunate to have Denise’s community leadership on our board of trustees,” said Peter Banko, president and CEO of Baystate Health. “Born and raised in Springfield, she represents the voices and healthcare needs of those across Western Massachusetts, and when this is coupled with her exceptional business leadership experience within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I know her involvement and participation on the MHA board of trustees will be invaluable and keep those we serve front and center.”