St. Mary’s President and CEO Montez Carter named to lead major New England hospital system

Athens, Ga. – Montez Carter, a senior leader in St. Mary’s Health Care System since 2010 and president and CEO of the health care ministry since 2017, has accepted a new position as president and CEO of Trinity Health of New England (THofNE), effective Oct. 3. 

Carter was selected after a nationwide search to replace THofNE’s President and CEO Reginald “Reggy” Eadie, who is moving to a new role as Trinity Health senior vice president, physician enterprise development. 

 “I speak for the whole St. Mary’s family as we wish Montez well in the next chapter of his life and career,” said Ralph Johnson, President of St. Mary’s Health Care System Board of Directors. “His integrity, compassion, and passion for service make him a great leader. But what really stands out to me is his calmness. He has a steady hand on the wheel that brings out the best in everyone around him, attracts great people to the ministry, and inspires them to be the best they can be. We will miss him, but we are happy for him and celebrate all he has done for St. Mary’s and the communities we serve.” 

“My family and I arrived in ‘Dawg Country’ in 2010 and could not have asked for a warmer reception or more fulfilling experience over the past 12 years,” Carter said in a message to St. Mary’s leaders and colleagues. “I purposefully used the word ‘Family’ in my greeting, as that is what St. Mary's has and will always be to me. That has never been more evident than over the past two and a half years as we faced and continue to deal with one of the most challenging times of our nation’s history. I am grateful for your dedication and sacrifice.   

“Although this moment is truly bittersweet for me, I take comfort in the fact that we have such a group of capable, mission-driven, dedicated leaders and colleagues at St. Mary's,” he said. “I know the ministry is in good hands.” 

In his new role, Carter will lead a 4-hospital system serving portions of Connecticut and western Massachusetts. Based in Hartford, Conn., THofNE includes 1,468 beds, more than 11,000 colleagues, 1,110 employed providers, and 3,100 affiliated partners. Like St. Mary’s, it is a Catholic, not-for-profit system within the nationwide health care ministry of Trinity Health. 

During his tenure with St. Mary’s, Carter has served in several leadership roles that expanded as St. Mary’s grew. When he began his tenure in 2010 as vice president of operations, St. Mary’s Health Care System consisted of the Athens hospital, outpatient services, a home health care/hospice program, a retirement community, and a small but expanding medical group. In 2011, he was tapped to lead the newly acquired St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro and led the work to design and build a modern replacement hospital. In 2017, he was named president of St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, and a few months later assumed the role of president and CEO of the entire system, including St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia, which the system acquired in 2015, and St. Mary’s Medical Group, which now includes more than 80 employed providers in 25 locations across Northeast Georgia. 

Under Carter’s leadership, St. Mary's has partnered regionally with physicians and outlying rural hospitals to elevate care delivery and increase access to advanced services such as stroke care and cardiology. St. Mary’s weathered the multiple challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic while also continuing to expand technology and access to life-saving services. Most significantly, St. Mary’s created the region’s first 24/7 mechanical thrombectomy program for the treatment of major strokes and procured three state-of-the-art robots to enhance general surgery, spine surgery, and orthopedic surgery at the Athens facility. 

Carter built strong community connections and partnerships at the local, state and national levels. He serves on several boards, including the American Hospital Association, Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals. He is also the immediate past president of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and past campaign chair for the United Way of Northeast Georgia.  

Carter was born and raised in Mississippi and began his career as a clinical pharmacist after earning his doctor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Mississippi. He went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Alabama. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.