UConn Health

February 28, 2022 | Lauren Woods - Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine

Four Appointed to Senior Leadership Positions at UConn Health

On February 24 UConn Health appointed Caryl Ryan, Anne Horbatuck, Eric Kruger and Dr. Jeffrey Hines to senior leadership positions.

On February 24 four senior leaders were appointed at UConn Health. Eric Kruger, Dr. Jeffrey Hines, Anne Horbatuck, RN (top row photos from left to right) and Caryl Ryan (bottom photo).

On February 24 interim CEO Dr. Bruce T. Liang appointed the following staff to senior leadership positions at UConn Health:

Caryl Ryan, RN, is Chief Operating Officer for UConn John Dempsey Hospital and is remaining our Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President for Quality and Patient Care Services. Caryl first joined UConn Health in 1985 as an Intensive Care Unit staff nurse. Since 2003 she has held various nursing leadership roles at UConn John Dempsey Hospital before being appointed Chief Nursing Officer in 2020.

Anne Horbatuck, RN, is Chief Operating Officer for the UConn Medical Group (UMG), and will continue to serve as Vice President of Ambulatory Services. In 1983, Anne started as a surgical staff nurse at John Dempsey Hospital, later becoming a nurse manager of many inpatient units, served as the Director of Signature Program, and the Musculoskeletal Institute’s administrator and chief operating officer before being appointed VP of Ambulatory Services in 2016.

“Since June, Caryl and Anne have been interim in the critical new COO roles,” shared Liang. “Impressively, each of these amazing leaders and nurses have served UConn Health for nearly 40 years.”

Eric Kruger is Vice President of Facilities and Operations. Since June 2014 he was Executive Director of UConn Facilities and Operations. Prior to joining UConn Health, Eric served as an operations and engineering manager at Eversource after retiring from the United States Naval Submarine Force as a Senior Chief Petty Officer – EMCS(SS) – Submarine Senior Chief Electrician’s Mate. He succeeds Tom Trutter with longstanding contributions to UConn Health including oversight of Bioscience Connecticut’s successful transformation of the campus. Eric starts at UConn Health on March 11, 2022.

Jeffrey Hines, M.D., is Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) starting June 3, 2022. He joins from Georgia’s large Wellstar health system and is boarded in OB/GYN. This new position is an important milestone for UConn Health. Dr. Hines has a wealth of experience in developing diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plans; implementing frameworks for achieving health excellence through health equity; addressing disparities in healthcare; and in facilitating university and healthcare leaders’ efforts to implement best practices that align diversity and inclusion strategies with core business objectives. His leadership will build upon UConn Health’s strong diversity commitment and efforts.