New hospital CEO to hold community forum

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Martha's Vineyard Hospital's new CEO, Denise Schepici, is hosting an open forum on June 5.

Hospital CEO and president Denise Schepici is holding a community forum on Tuesday, June 5, from 5 to 6:30 pm at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts Center.

The hospital has sent out invitations to some people, but the forum is also open to the general public. Schepici started her new job earlier this year, promising a new era of transparency at the hospital.

Members of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Concerned Citizens group, which formed last year after the previous CEO, Joe Woodin, was fired, are urging the public to attend the forum.

“The MVH Concerned Citizens was formed as an ad hoc group in the summer of 2017 due to concerns about our hospital’s limited transparency, accountability, and responsiveness to Island residents. The more than 500 individuals who responded to the survey overwhelmingly supported the need for more communication and responsiveness to community needs,” Victor Capoccia and other members of the group wrote in an email. “Since January of this year, there are indications that your concerns have been heard, and that changes to better inform, and respond, to the public are occurring. While more work is needed to fully regain public confidence, this new beginning is encouraging.”

In an email to The Times, Katrina Delgadillo, the new communications director for the hospital, wrote that the June 5 forum is open to the public, and will be advertised.