Carter named President and CEO of St. Mary’s

St. Mary’s Health Care Systems has named a new President and CEO to replace Don McCenna, who resigned in November to take a position in Jupiter, Florida.

Mark Ralston, Public Affairs Director for St. Mary’s announces the new top official.

“St Mary’s Health Care System has a new President and CEO. He’s Montez Carter.”

Carter has been with St. Mary’s since 2012.

Prior to coming to Athens, he served at Greenwood Leflore Hospital in Greenwood, Miss., where he was director of pharmacy services and then as Associate Director of Performance Improvement and Patient Support Services.

He earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Alabama and his doctoral degree in pharmacy from the University of Mississippi.

“Earlier this year he was promoted to President of St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens and then with the announcement that Don McKenna would be leaving for a hospital in Florida, he had been offered a top position there, Montez was promoted to the top position in our system,” said Ralston.

Carter becomes just the fourth President and CEO of St. Mary’s since 1966, when the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus turned over administrative duties to lay professionals.

He follows E. J. Fechtel, Jr., Tom Fitz, and McKenna.

St. Mary’s Health Care System, part of the nationwide Trinity Health ministry, features hospitals in Athens, Greensboro and Lavonia.

Carter’s role at St. Mary’s, is similar to the recent administration change at Stephens County Hospital in October of this year, with Roger Forgey becoming interim CEO, after Lynn Anderson’s resignation.

Forgey continues to implement budget saving practices in order to ensure the hospital stays afloat.