Heywood Healthcare appoints Dr. Kavita Babu as chief medical officer

GARDNER — Heywood Healthcare has announced the appointment of Dr. Kavita Babu as chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs.

A highly respected physician executive and emergency medicine leader, Heywood Healthcare said Dr. Babu brings more than 20 years of clinical and leadership experience to the organization.

Throughout her career, Babu has led a wide range of initiatives focused on quality improvement, patient safety, physician engagement and operational excellence.

Heywood representatives said that she has also played a key role in advancing substance use disorder services and strengthening community-based care delivery. Known for her collaborative leadership style, Babu has extensive experience working across multidisciplinary teams, including medical staff, nursing, pharmacy, emergency medical services, and executive leadership, to enhance patient care, improve access, and optimize clinical operations.

In addition to her leadership roles, Babu remains an active practicing emergency physician. Heywood representatives said she is widely recognized for her expertise in addiction medicine, medical toxicology, clinical informatics and healthcare operations.

Babu earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Brown Medical School after completing her undergraduate studies in Biology at Brown University. She completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at Brown Medical School and went on to complete a fellowship in Medical Toxicology at the University of Massachusetts. In addition, she recently completed her MBA through the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“Dr. Babu’s depth of experience, clinical expertise, and commitment to patient-centered care make her an outstanding addition to our leadership team,” said Heywood Healthcare President and CEO Rozanna Penney. “We are excited to welcome her to Heywood Healthcare and look forward to the impact she will have on our organization and the communities we serve.”

Penney also recognized and thanked Dr. Frank Sweeney for his leadership and service as chief medical officer over the past year. She said that since beginning private practice in 1999, Dr. Sweeney has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to patient care and community medicine, including leading Chair City Family Medicine from 2003 through June 2024.

Sweeney has been a valued member of our Physician-Hospital Organization for more than 20 years and has served as both a trustee of the Heywood Healthcare Board of Directors and a board member of the UMass Accountable Care Organization. Penney said that as he re-enters retirement from the chief medical officer role, Heywood Healthcare is grateful that he will continue to remain actively involved with the organization as president of the PHO and as an active member of the Heywood Healthcare Board of Trustees.