Interim hospital director

Dr. Mike Summerer, a hospital administrator from Massachusetts, has been appointed interim director of UConn’s John Dempsey Hospital. He began the job Jan. 20.

An experienced cardiologist, Summerer has more than 15 years of hospital system senior leadership experience.

He was most recently system vice president and chief medical officer at Hallmark Health System, a multi-hospital healthcare system in eastern Massachusetts. Previously, he was corporate senior vice president and chief medical officer at St. Vincent’s Health Services in Bridgeport.

A graduate of the UConn School of Medicine, Summerer also earned an undergraduate degree in physics from UConn. He is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease, and is a Fellow of the American College

of Cardiology and the American College of Physician Executives.

Summerer takes over from Jim Thornton, who is retiring.

“The University continues to be involved in affiliation discussions with Hartford Hospital,” said Dr. Cato Laurencin, vice president for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.

“For that reason, we have decided to fill the hospital director position on an interim basis. The longer-term status of the position will be determined pending the outcome of the affiliation discussions.”