William M. Jennings elected to American Hospital Association Board

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — William M. Jennings, president of Hartford HealthCare’s Fairfield Region, St. Vincent's Medical Center, has been elected to the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees, the organization’s highest policymaking body. His appointment brings a Connecticut perspective to the national organization’s leadership at a time of significant change across the health care industry.

Jennings will begin a three-year term Jan. 1, 2027. The AHA Board of Trustees is responsible for guiding the association’s governance, policy direction, and finances. His role will provide an opportunity to bring the experiences and priorities of Connecticut hospitals and the communities they serve to national conversations about health care.

“This is an extraordinary and well-deserved recognition of Bill’s leadership, his commitment to the communities we serve and his deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing health care today,” said Jeffrey A. Flaks, president and chief executive officer of Hartford HealthCare. “Bill brings tremendous energy, experience and purpose to everything he does. His voice on the AHA Board will help shape important conversations about the future of health care across our nation, while reflecting Hartford HealthCare’s commitment to transforming care and making healthcare better for the communities we are privileged to serve.”

Jennings has led Hartford HealthCare’s Fairfield Region since July 2021. Before joining Hartford HealthCare, he served as executive vice president of Yale New Haven Health and president and CEO of Bridgeport Hospital for eight years. His career also includes executive leadership roles at Tower Health and Reading Hospital in Pennsylvania, SSM St. Mary’s Hospital Center and Heart Institute in St. Louis, Missouri, BayCare Health System in Florida and Cookeville Regional Medical Center in Tennessee.

“I am deeply honored to join the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees and to have the opportunity to represent Hartford HealthCare and the communities we serve on a national level,” Jennings said. “Healthcare is undergoing extraordinary change, and this is an important time for leaders across the country to work together to strengthen access, advance quality and innovation, support our colleagues and ensure that our health systems remain strong and responsive to the needs of our communities.”

Jennings currently serves on the AHA’s Regional Policy Board 1, which helps foster communication among the AHA, its members and state hospital associations and provides input on public policy issues affecting hospitals and health systems. His new role on the Board of Trustees will further expand his involvement in national health care policy and leadership.

For Connecticut, Jennings’ appointment provides an opportunity to elevate the experiences of the state’s hospitals and health care systems on a national stage. Connecticut hospitals face many of the same challenges confronting health systems across the country, including maintaining access to care, advancing innovation and ensuring health care remains responsive to the needs of local communities.

Jennings earned his bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a Master of Hospital Administration from The Ohio State University in Columbus.

The American Hospital Association represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations nationwide and advocates on issues affecting hospitals, health systems, clinicians, caregivers and the communities they serve.