Bennington, VT—October 28, 2025— Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member of Dartmouth Health, has appointed Estevan Garcia, MD, as its CEO and president. He will succeed Thomas A. Dee, FACHE who will departing early January 2026.
“After an extensive search, and on behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Search Committee, I am pleased to share that Dr. Garcia will be leading SVMC as its next president and CEO,” said Thomas H. Green III, chair of SVMC’s Board of Trustees. “Dr. Garcia has decades of experience in healthcare leadership, spearheading major initiatives and improvements within hospital systems and in a public health capacity.”
Garcia, a specialist in pediatric emergency medicine, has most recently supported Dartmouth College in addressing the student mental health crisis by utilizing a public health preventative approach. Prior to this, he served as chief medical officer for the Massachusetts Department of Health. His role has included significant fundraising and outreach for new services, centers and buildings.
He has a 30-year career in healthcare, previously serving as chief medical officer at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, a Mass General Brigham affiliate, in Northampton, MA, and at Brookdale University Hospital, in Brooklyn, NY; vice president and medical director for risk management at Hospitals Insurance Company; and interim CEO of Tewksbury Hospital in Tewksbury, MA.
“Dr. Garcia has a breadth and depth of experience as a clinician, advocate and healthcare leader that is a strong fit for SVMC,” said Joanne M. Conroy, MD, CEO and president of Dartmouth Health. “He is in an excellent position to continue building upon all of SVMC’s growth accomplished under Tom Dee’s outstanding leadership, and expand SVMC and Dartmouth Health’s reputation of excellence in rural health delivery.”
Garcia is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, earned a master’s in public administration in healthcare management and policy, and received a doctorate in public health. He has served on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems and the boards of the Child Advocacy Center of Northampton, MA, and of GLMA, the oldest and largest association of LGBTQ+ and allied health professionals.
He is also past president of the board of TreeHouse Foundation, an organization that creates intergenerational communities for families with foster children. Garcia and his husband, William, have fostered more than 20 children, and have raised three adopted children.
Garcia was selected following an extensive nationwide search, lead by a volunteer search committee, consisting of SVMC Board of Trustee members and Dartmouth Health leadership.
Dee, Garcia’s predecessor, held the position for 16 years, guiding SVMC through massive changes, including the integration with Dartmouth Health.