Margaret-Ann Azzaro Joins Holyoke Medical Center as Chief Nursing Officer

HOLYOKE — Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center and Valley Health Systems, announced the appointment of Margaret-Ann Azzaro as vice president, Patient Care Services and chief Nursing officer at Holyoke Medical Center.

“We are excited to welcome Margaret-Ann to our team. She is a highly accomplished healthcare leader with nearly 30 years of experience in nursing and nursing management,” Hatiras said.

In previous positions, Azzaro spearheaded multiple initiatives to improve the patient experience and increase employee engagement. Some of the initiatives included hourly patient rounding, daily safety huddles on every shift, and developing a new nurse-mentorship program. She founded and chaired a Nursing Quality Council and was the lead senior clinical partner to facilities in the design and construction of a multi-million-dollar renovation project. Azzaro helped the organizations obtain many regional and national recognitions.

Azzaro’s prior experience includes nursing and nursing leadership positions at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Mercy Medical Center, Yale New Haven Hospital, and Baystate Medical Center. She received a doctor of nursing practice degree from UMass Boston and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Hartford. She is certified in executive nursing practice from the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and is also a graduate of the Massachusetts General Hospital Lawrence Center of Quality and Safety Clinical Process Improvement Leadership Program.

“My passion lies within building and developing relationships, motivating individuals, and driving teams to deliver safe, reliable, and quality care,” Azzaro said. “I value transparency, visibility, and presence. I appreciate the importance of engaging and communicating with frontline staff to build trust and gain understanding of the work being done to identify both opportunities for improvement as well as recognition of a job well done. Having been raised in Springfield and as a lifelong resident of the Pioneer Valley, I am well aware of the important role that Holyoke Medical Center plays in our region and the critical ways it serves the community, and I am honored to have joined this team.”