Dr. Marisela Marrero Becomes Steward Health Care’s First Leader of DEI and Health Care Equity

DALLAS , February 02 /Businesswire/ - Steward Health Care today announced the appointment of Marisela Marrero, M.D., as Senior Vice President (SVP) for Health Care Equity and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for its national health system. In this position, Dr. Marrero will report directly to Steward Chairman and CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre and Steward’s new Board-level DEI committee. Steward today also announced the appointment of Paul Smith as President of their flagship hospital, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center (SEMC) in Boston. Mr. Smith is replacing Dr. Marrero, who served as the interim President of SEMC.

Speaking of Dr. Marrero’s new role, Dr. de la Torre stated, “Steward’s model of care has always depended on assisting underserved communities who are suffering from economic and ethnic challenges. The COVID epidemic exposed these fault lines in our national health care system, and Dr. Marrero’s appointment as our first leader of DEI and Health Care Equity underscores our commitment to correct these systemic injustices. This is a top priority for us.”

A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Marrero has dedicated her career to engaging and partnering with communities of color, including her own, to provide vital health information and care. She regularly appears on Spanish-language television to provide expertise on many important health care topics.

“As a Latina doctor, this work is incredibly personal and important to me, and I’m excited to help grow Steward’s efforts on health care equity and DEI across our national health system,” said Dr. Marrero. “I want to help ensure that we are a truly diverse organization ready to tackle the difficult barriers to equity in the communities we serve. I have experienced access issues, payer inequity, and the struggles of diverse communities, and I am committed to addressing them. I’m grateful for this opportunity and ready to get to work on behalf of our patients and staff.”

In Dr. Marrero’s stead, Mr. Smith joins Steward from Tenet Health Care system where he served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Saint Vincent Hospital and Tenet’s Massachusetts market. Previously, Mr. Smith had spent seven years at Steward in various capacities including COO of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center and Vice President (VP) of Operations at Holy Family Hospital.

“We are delighted that Paul is re-joining the Steward family,” said Dr. Mark Girard, President of Steward’s North Region. “Paul has exceptional operating skills, intimately understands our model of value-based care, and has been a respected colleague for years. He will have a big impact on SEMC as it moves toward becoming an advanced tertiary care institution,” he stated.

About Steward Health Care

Nearly a decade ago, Steward Health Care System emerged as a different kind of health care company designed to usher in a new era of wellness. One that provides our patients better, more proactive care at a sustainable cost, our providers unrivaled coordination of care, and our communities greater prosperity and stability.

As the country’s largest physician-led, tax paying, integrated health care system, our doctors can be certain that we share their interests and those of their patients. Together we are on a mission to revolutionize the way health care is delivered – creating healthier lives, thriving communities and a better world.

Steward is among the nation’s largest and most successful accountable care organizations (ACO), with more than 5,500 providers and 43,000 health care professionals who care for 12.3 million patients a year through a closely integrated network of hospitals, multispecialty medical groups, urgent care centers, skilled nursing facilities and behavioral health centers.

Based in Dallas, Steward currently operates 39 hospitals across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.

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