WESTFIELD – The trustees of Baystate Health and Noble Hospital are pleased to announce today that Noble and its affiliated entities will become part of Baystate Health, effective today, July 1.
As of July 1, the hospital will be known as Baystate Noble Hospital and will join Baystate’s team of community hospitals in Greenfield, Palmer and Ware. Ronald Bryant, currently president and CEO of Noble Hospital, will accept the position of president of Baystate Noble Hospital, in accordance with Baystate Health’s structure for its community hospital leadership. Bryant will report to Dennis Chalke, senior vice president of Community Hospitals for Baystate Health.
“We’re proud to welcome Noble and its team members to the Baystate family and to bring their proud tradition of outstanding, compassionate care into our organization,” said Dr. Mark A. Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health. “Now, we’ll move on to the most important part of this change: advancing the quality, access and value of care provided to the Westfield community.”
As president of Baystate Noble, Bryant will continue to provide strategic, executive and operational leadership for the hospital, which offers a variety of inpatient and outpatient services including medical, surgical, pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac and emergency services for over 100,000 local residents.
“For me, this is a new phase and an extension of an already strong relationship,” said Bryant. “From heart-attack care to neurosciences to obstetrics, the Noble community has a longstanding and thriving relationship with Baystate Health. I’m honored to be able to play a part in this new relationship—and step forward—in service of the Westfield community’s health.”
“Ron has led Noble to success in the most challenging of environments for community hospitals,” said Chalke. “We’re very pleased to work with him as we continue our efforts to provide as much care as possible close to home, effectively and efficiently, for our communities in western Massachusetts.”
Baystate continues its tradition of upholding the histories of partner organizations that endure in their names. “We’re very pleased to honor the memory of Reuben Noble and continue to provide the outstanding care that patients have come to expect from Noble,” said Chalke.
Bryant earned his undergraduate degree from Assumption College and he has a Master of Health Administration from St. Joseph’s College. He also is a licensed certified public accountant. Bryant is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Massachusetts Hospital Association Board of Trustees. Bryant served as chief operating officer for Noble, and spent over 10 years prior to that as a chief financial officer for several organizations.
Noble has about 750 employees, who will join Baystate Health’s team of 11,500 across western Massachusetts.
With the change, Noble Hospital Trustees Robert Bacon and Harriet DeVerry will join the Baystate Health Board of Trustees as representatives of Noble and its community. Baystate Noble will not retain a separate board of trustees.
Noble Hospital has served the greater Westfield community since 1893, when Westfield native Reuben Noble bequeathed a large portion of his estate to establish a local hospital. The original hospital had 20 beds and was staffed by eight physicians. The Nurses’ Training School opened in 1905 and graduated 144 nurses before closing in 1936. In 1958, a new hospital was built featuring updated facilities and equipment. Noble Hospital has seen many changes in its 122 years, including new service lines, state-of-the-art medical enhancements, and facility additions and improvements.
The new Baystate Noble Hospital name and logo will be integrated into all signage and materials after July 1. The Noble Visiting Nurse & Hospice logo has also been updated to reflect its connection to Baystate Health and will be used after July 1.
Signage and names for Noble Medical Group physicians and Noble Express Care will not be changed at this time.
