Thomas A. Dee, CEO and president of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), a member of Dartmouth Health, has announced his upcoming retirement from the helm of the organization that he has led for the last 16 years.
Dee plans to retire at the end of 2025 and a search committee has been formed to seek his replacement.
“It is with mixed emotions that I take this next step in my life,” Dee said. “After 45 years in healthcare leadership, I can honestly say that my time at Southwestern Vermont Health Care has been some of the most formative, fulfilling and, at times, humbling work in my career. SVHC has an amazing team of individuals, who care deeply about the patients and families we serve.”
Dee led SVHC through its initial affiliation with what was then known as Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health in 2012, and the integration with the Dartmouth Health system in 2023. He also guided Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) through massive transformations, including the building of a new emergency department and front entrance, as well as impending plans for a new cancer center and an inpatient adolescent mental health unit. He has also played a key role in economic development in Bennington, specifically with the redevelopment plans for the former Southern Vermont College campus and the downtown Putnam project.
“Under Tom’s leadership, SVMC has grown from a trusted community hospital that residents of southern Vermont and their neighbors in New York and Massachusetts had relied on for over a century, to a national model of excellence in rural healthcare delivery," said Joanne M. Conroy, MD, CEO and President of Dartmouth Health. "Since joining our system nearly two years ago, SVMC has not only been strengthened by all the resources available to it as a Dartmouth Health member, but Dartmouth Health itself has been strengthened by SVMC’s commitment to quality care and innovation—so much of which comes from Tom leading the hospital. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude, on behalf of all of Dartmouth Health, to my colleague and friend Tom Dee, whose vision over the last 16 years has and will continue to benefit us all.”
Tom Green, chair of SVHC’s Board of Trustees will co-chair the executive search committee, along with other key leaders at SVHC and Dartmouth Health.
“Tom Dee’s extraordinary leadership has been transformative and has catapulted our community hospital into one with a statewide and national spotlight that has five consecutive recognitions as a Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence and the American Hospital Association’s Rural Hospital Leadership Award,” said Green. “He has always taken a hands-on approach to enhancing patient care and experience, while consistently supporting the superb providers, nurses and staff that make it all possible. While Tom leaves big shoes to fill, he has built a highly talented leadership team and is leaving SVHC in a strong position for our next leader.”
Other members of the search committee include: Former Trustee Chair Kathy Fisher, Trustee officers Stephen Kelly and Dimitri Garder, Dartmouth Health Chief Clinical Officer Edward J. Merrens, MD, Dartmouth Health Chief Strategy Officer Stephen J. Leblanc, SVMC trustee and former chief nursing officer Carol Conroy, DNP, RN, CENP and SVMC past trustee and medical staff president, Themarge Small, MD.
Dee, who plans to remain in the Bennington area, said he has the utmost confidence in the search process ahead.
“I have always seen myself as a temporary steward of a great institution that has served this community for more than 100 years,” Dee said. “The leadership we have in place, along with our trustees, clinical and support teams, will ensure SVHC’s mission continues for another century.”
About Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
For more than a century, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) has delivered world-class care and comfort to every patient. Today, SVMC encompasses eight locations across Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts, including a 99-bed hospital and 23 primary and specialty care services. SVMC’s exceptional health teams possess expertise in everything from oncology to orthopedics. Our clinical strength has earned national attention, including six consecutive designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program. Since joining Dartmouth Health in 2023, SVMC has expanded treatment options and services to keep patients closer to home for world-class care. As the largest employer in southwestern Vermont, SVMC is deeply invested in the region, engaging with the community through wellness initiatives, support of local nonprofit organizations and involvement in economic development. SVMC has robust volunteer leadership, at many levels, that help guide and govern the organization, ensuring SVMC continues to serve the patient and staff needs of today, and tomorrow.