Yale New Haven president Richard D’Aquila to step down after nearly 15 years of service with Yale New Haven Health

New Haven, CT (July 31, 2020) – After nearly 15 years of service, Richard D’Aquila has announced his decision to transition out of his role as president of Yale New Haven Hospital and the Health System effective October 5, 2020. Ensuring a smooth and seamless leadership transition, the Board has named Keith B. Churchwell, MD, president of Yale New Haven Hospital.

“I am so proud and grateful to have had the experience of leading one of the nation’s most respected healthcare organizations,” said D’Aquila. “Over the last 14 years we have accomplished so much and really put Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health in an incredibly strong position nationally. It has been the greatest privilege of my career to work with some of the most extraordinary and caring leaders anywhere in the country.”

D’Aquila’s legacy is extensive. He was recruited from New York Presbyterian Hospital in 2006 to serve as chief operating officer at Yale New Haven Hospital. He is widely credited for establishing a robust relationship with Yale Medicine and the Yale School of Medicine and building out the clinical depth that has come to characterize the Health System today.

“Rick has been a true partner in growing Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health,” said Marna P. Borgstrom, CEO. “Rick developed service lines, first at Yale New Haven Hospital and then saw them expand across the System, to support the provision of a single signature of care for our patients, wherever they access our services. He was instrumental in leading the integration of the Hospital of Saint Raphael into Yale New Haven Hospital, making Yale New Haven Hospital one of the top 10 largest hospitals in the country.”

D’Aquila led an approach to build expertise and access through the development of key service lines from the Smilow Cancer Hospital, to Heart and Vascular to the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. Through his efforts, the Yale New Haven Hospital and the Yale School of Medicine recruited national leaders in their fields to Connecticut and supported exceptional growth in clinical offerings along the way.

“Rick has been a terrific partner with Yale Medicine,” said YM CEO Paul Taheri, MD. “Together we built an exceptional clinical practice that rivals anyone in the country. Rick is tough-minded, strategic and purposeful, all of which make him a great colleague and an exceptional leader.”

D'Aquila has also been active in the community, most notably as a promoter of the partnership between Yale New Haven Hospital and Habitat for Humanity that saw the construction of more than a dozen homes throughout the neighborhoods surrounding the Hospital.

D’Aquila has had an extraordinary career in healthcare. In addition to his significant contributions at Yale New Haven Health, he served as chief operating officer for New York Presbyterian Hospital, as well as executive vice president and chief operating officer at St. Vincent’s Health in Bridgeport, CT and president of Health Initiatives Corporation, a healthcare strategy consulting firm. He plans to return to his consulting practice after leaving Yale New Haven.