February 22, 2002

James J. Mongan, MD, who has served as president of the MGH for the last six years, announced Feb. 19 that he has accepted the role of president and chief executive officer of Partners HealthCare. Mongan will succeed Samuel O. Thier, MD, who is stepping down from this leadership position at the end of December 2002.

In a message to the MGH community, Mongan (left) said that he was honored by and appreciative of the confidence that the Partners Board of Trustees has expressed in him. "I am at the same time respectful of the many responsibilities that go with this position," Mongan added. "Sam Thier has done a superb job over the years in building and shaping a new and critically important institution. I'm honored to have been asked to carry on his work."

Mongan also told the hospital community that MGH Board Chairman Edward Lawrence will be leading a search process to identify the hospital's next president. Thier, who has been a Partners officer since 1994 and has held his current position since 1996, expects a smooth transition of leadership during the coming months. "Jim Mongan and I have enjoyed a close working relationship for the past six years, and we will be planning the transition that lies ahead from that base," Thier said. "This has been an extraordinary opportunity for me to work with some of the most gifted and committed clinicians, scientists, executives, managers and staff in the world. I take great pride and pleasure in how far we have come, thanks to everyone associated with our health care system, in realizing the benefits to patient care, academic excellence and service to the community that were fundamental to the founding vision of Partners."

Thier  (right) said that he plans to return to his roots as an academic physician and will continue to be involved with national health care policy matters. He also will spend more time speaking and writing about issues related to the organization and delivery of health care.

According to Mongan, the decision to leave his MGH position was a difficult one. "I believe that I have had the best health care job in America, working alongside the people that have made the MGH the great institution it is today," he said. "Consequently, it has been a tough decision for me to give up my current role. I am heartened, however, by the fact that I will continue to work with my colleagues from the MGH while also working with people from the other great institutions that make up the Partners system."

During Mongan's tenure at the MGH, inpatient admissions have grown 20 percent. The hospital's finances also have been stable, with positive operating results of $43.7 million in fiscal year '01 on revenue of $1.3 billion. Mongan has overseen planning for the new MGH ambulatory care building — the first new major building at the hospital in 20 years — which is designed to meet rapidly growing demand for outpatient services.

Meanwhile, new services have come online, including the Northeast Proton Therapy Center, one of only two hospital-based facilities in the world providing this state-of-the-art cancer treatment. Also under Mongan's leadership, new partnerships were forged with health centers in the North End, East Boston and Back Bay.

W. Gerald Austen, MD, chairman of the MGH Chiefs' Council, spoke for many at the MGH in his appraisal of Mongan: "Jim Mongan has done a spectacular job in every way at the MGH. He combines a wonderful intellect with superb judgment and a great sensitivity to others. Jim has been an exceptional leader, and has done more than anyone to bring hospital administration and professional staff together in working for the best interests of the MGH community."

Partners milestones

Partners was formed at a time when all health care providers, and particularly academic medical centers, were entering a period of sustained and severe economic pressures. Under the leadership of Samuel O. Thier, MD, Partners president and CEO, Partners' finances have been strong and stable, while historic commitments to patient care, teaching, research and community have been expanded.

• Since 1994, Partners admissions have grown 15 percent. Investments have been made to stabilize and improve needed community health services provided by institutions like Union Hospital in Lynn, Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain and Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Meanwhile, collaborations between MGH and BWH and Partners community hospitals and physicians have brought new services and better care to area residents.

• Research funding has grown 85 percent, to $578 million last year. Partners has made significant investments in cutting-edge areas of medical research like genomics and minimally invasive therapies, and has fostered new collaborations among MGH and BWH scientists.

• Partners has maintained its commitment to training new physicians, and has combined residencies and fellowships to provide trainees with exposure to a broader range of patients and teachers.

• Partners has expanded its community health center commitments, and Partners-affiliated health centers now serve 200,000 patients per year. Partners provides care for 65,000 Medicaid and 20,000 uninsured and underinsured patients each year.