Wentworth-Douglass Hospital's new president is a nurse: 'I am ready to pitch in'

DOVER — Darin Roark, the new chief operating officer and president of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, is the first nurse to lead the hospital, and he could not be happier about it.

Roark, 52, is the 12th leader in Wentworth-Douglass' 120-year history. He started the job in July, bringing more than 20 years of experience in health care.

"I will maintain my nursing license here in New Hampshire, and I am ready and willing to pitch in wherever I am needed," he said. "I have done every job in nursing, and I know how it works. So, I hopefully know what will work for us. Nursing is a great job because at the end of the day, you know you helped someone. It is a feeling not felt in many other careers."

Mass General Brigham, which acquired Wentworth-Douglass in 2017, announced Roark's hiring in June. He came from Florida, where he was hospital president of Baptist Medical Center Clay in Fleming Island, Florida, and system vice president of ambulatory campuses and emergency services for Baptist Health, a nonprofit health system based in Jacksonville. Baptist Health has six hospitals, including a children’s hospital, three free-standing emergency departments, more than 200 care locations and 14,000 employees.

To read the full story, visit seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2023/10/10/darin-roark-wentworth-douglass-hospital-president-nurse/71030340007.

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