Diana Richardson has been named the president and CEO of Merrimack Health after overseeing the formation of the new health care system that included Lawrence General and Holy Family Hospitals as its interim leader. Richardson speaks during the unveiling of the new brand name for both Holy Family hospitals and Lawrence General Hospital.
LAWRENCE — The Merrimack Health Board of Trustees announced Diana L. Richardson has accepted the permanent position of president and CEO.
Richardson, who in an interim role led the unification of the Merrimack Valley’s first regional health care system, was offered the position after a unanimous board vote.
“Over the past several months, the Board had the opportunity to observe firsthand Diana’s stellar leadership, her ability to stabilize the organization, and her work to connect with our communities,” said Rosemarie Day, chair of the Merrimack Health Board of Trustees.
“Diana is the right person to lead our system into the future amid our challenging health care environment. She has set a clear direction for Merrimack Health with strong fiscal improvements, a successful rebrand, and a thoughtful integration strategy all while prioritizing the needs of our patients. It was clear that this positive momentum should continue, and that a formal search would not be necessary. We are confident that her leadership will serve our patients, employees, and region well as we move forward.”
Richardson led Merrimack Health in an interim role since mid-April, overseeing the integration and rebranding of the formerly named Lawrence General and Holy Family Hospitals and their community physician practices. This includes addressing the organization’s disparate systems and resources, investing in its facilities and technology, and ensuring the continuation of 24/7 emergency care at all three hospitals.
“Diana has effected real and positive change during her time with the organization,” said Dan Rivera, vice chair of the Merrimack Health Board of Trustees. “She understands the importance of access to quality health care for our region and will continue to strengthen Merrimack Health in alignment with the needs of our communities.”
“It has been a privilege and joy to build connections with our patients, staff, and community members as we create a health system where everyone in the region has access to trusted and compassionate care,” said Richardson. “I am grateful to serve our communities across the Merrimack Valley, and for the opportunity to chart a strong, mission-driven future for care in the region alongside our talented clinicians and teams.”
Prior to joining Merrimack Health, Richardson was a senior transition liaison with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, where she played a key role in the state’s incident command response to the Steward Health Care bankruptcy crisis.
Before her time at DPH, Richardson served as executive vice president of Tufts Medicine and president of Tufts Medical Center in Boston, after previously holding the role of senior vice president and chief operating officer. Additionally, she was vice president of operations at UF Health – Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida.
Delta celebrates Summer of Smiles
LAWRENCE — Delta Dental of Massachusetts is celebrating a summer of impact and the donation of more than 5,000 dental hygiene kits to nonprofits in 29 cities and towns including in Lawrence, Lowell and Gloucester.
The company’s Summer of Smiles program invites DDMA employees to donate up to 100 kits each to a local nonprofit organization of their choice, helping expand access to essential oral health supplies in communities across Massachusetts.
“The impact of Summer of Smiles reflects both the hard work of our employees and our commitment to building a healthier Massachusetts,” said Erik Montlack, President of Delta Dental of Massachusetts. “Access to dental care is essential for healthy communities, and Delta Dental is committed to empowering smiles and improving oral health across the Commonwealth.”
The dental hygiene kits include a mesh bag filled with adult toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste, and an oral care flyer in English and Spanish.
“We are grateful to be included in the program and know that dental health is a critical component of overall health, something we’ll get to reinforce with the children and adults who receive these kits! Thank you for helping us encourage healthy habits with the children we serve,” said Deanna Dywer, Marketing and Communications Senior Director for Horizons for Homeless Children.
Security operations center to open
LOWELL — A new security operations center at UMass Lowell will help fortify area cities, towns and defense industrial base companies against cyber threats. The center is being established through a $300,000 grant from a joint effort between the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s (MassTech) MassCyberCenter and Center for Advanced Manufacturing, with ongoing support from Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).
Located on UMass Lowell’s campus as part of the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC), the center will provide area governments, nonprofits and businesses with expert guidance to address their cybersecurity needs. At the same time, the initiative will give UMass Lowell students paid career-connected experiences putting them on a path for professional success after graduation.
MassTech leaders announced the grant Monday at the State House in Boston as part of the ninth annual Massachusetts Cybersecurity Forum.
“Massachusetts is leveraging this facility and partner network to build a robust pipeline of cyber talent with the high-demand skills and experience needed in the public, commercial, defense and manufacturing sectors,” said MassTech’s Deputy Director and Chief Investment Strategist Ben Linville-Engler. “With the new Security Operations Center, UMass Lowell will expand this network, serving as a regional base for cyber resiliency while providing career advancement for young professionals in the field.”
In 2024, cybercrime cost the Bay State an estimated $300 million, according to event organizers. Aiming to significantly reduce that figure, protect critical infrastructure and enhance economic stability, the SOC at UMass Lowell will be the fourth such facility at colleges and universities across the commonwealth, however it will be unique in its support of small- to mid-sized companies in the defense industrial base. The SOC will be managed by the nonprofit CyberTrust Massachusetts.
“UMass Lowell is another critical node in the Massachusetts cybersecurity ecosystem,” said MassCyberCenter Director John Petrozzelli. “Their presence will bolster our capabilities and further enhance our ability to safeguard public and private assets from external threats. The MassCyberCenter and CyberTrust Massachusetts are partnering with academic institutions because of their strong business community relationships and their ability to develop future cybersecurity talent.”
Services provided to clients at UMass Lowell’s SOC will include evaluating their cyber systems; monitoring computers and servers; flagging potential risks; analyzing email defense systems, local networks and servers; and detecting and intercepting suspicious activity.
Last year, SAIC, a leading technology mission integrator for the government, awarded UMass Lowell $1.3 million toward the development of a state-of-the-art cyber center to strengthen the resilience of the defense industrial base and expand a pipeline of skilled cyber professionals across the region. The cyber center, which includes the SOC, is estimated to help create 30 jobs while cultivating members of the future STEM workforce through paid internships, job fairs, and training programs in collaboration with other partners including Middlesex Community College and area high schools.
“We are grateful to MassTech and SAIC for these significant contributions and partnership with the university. These relationships enable us to help cities, towns and businesses throughout the region become more nimble and secure, while providing our students with vital career-connected experiences that ensure a new generation of professionals is ready to secure the commonwealth’s economic future,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen.
UMass Lowell’s cybersecurity education, research and workforce development initiatives leverage faculty expertise in computer science, computer engineering, security studies, business and health data security. The university is designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Research by the National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The new SOC will be housed inside the university’s Wannalancit Business Center, next to the university’s Cyber Range, a learning lab that offers students an opportunity to sharpen their skills identifying and intercepting cyberattacks.
The center is the latest addition to LINC, a public-private partnership driven by UMass Lowell, the city of Lowell and member organizations. The initiative envisions a 1.2-million square-foot mixed-use development on and beyond UMass Lowell’s campus that includes offices and research labs, housing, retail businesses and entertainment destinations.
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