Building a better future

A conversation with Trustee Vincent Rougeau

For Vincent Rougeau, the lessons in community engagement started young.

“My parents were teachers and active in the Civil Rights Movement, and they never saw their achievements as essentially for themselves alone,” he recounts.

“They always reminded us of our obligation to give back. And so your education, your job, your accomplishments, your resources, are not just to benefit you. You now have an opportunity to make life better for others as well.”

Through giving back—including as a Newton-Wellesley trustee—he carries their lessons forward.

Today, as president of the College of the Holy Cross, he seeks to lead by example. “I feel a deep sense of responsibility to ensure that my institution is living out its values in a meaningful way,” he says. “And I feel the same for Newton-Wellesley.”

What sets NWH apart

Since moving to Weston a dozen years ago, his family has relied on Newton-Wellesley. As parents of three adolescent boys, Vince and his wife, Robin Kornegay-Rougeau, MD, have gotten to know it well.

From the start, “it surprised us that people didn’t appreciate more how lucky they were to have a hospital of such high quality so close to them,” he notes.

He sees NWH as having all the attributes they’d hope to find in a local hospital: community-centered, accessible, family-friendly, and staffed by kind, helpful caregivers.

After his mother, now in her 80s, moved here to be near them, “having such a fine hospital so close to us has also given her a sense of security,” he adds.

The values we embrace

In his mind, as a healthcare institution, “Newton-Wellesley provides one of the most essential things in the lives of all human beings.”

Vince first became involved with NWH while dean of Boston College Law School. Over time, “as options for being more involved emerged, it was important to me to give back in a way that reflected our admiration for the hospital.”

He joined the NWH Board of Trustees in spring 2021. In this challenging time for healthcare, he has gained a deeper perspective on changes spurred by the pandemic—and the powerful benefits of increasing collaboration as part of Mass General Brigham.

From his own experiences, he appreciates the impact on patients and their families. Being married to a Mass General Brigham pediatrician, “I’ve personally seen how the professional lives of physicians have evolved over the last few decades,” he adds.

He sees it as critical that all those we seek to serve feel seen and believe this hospital exists for them. He asks himself, are we doing our absolute best to make sure that the healthcare we give is accessible? Do patients feel treated with dignity, care, and compassion?

“These are values that I know the hospital and the community embrace,” he says.

Valuable work

As a lifelong academic, “It’s been a real gift to be in a position to shape young people and help them chart their future,” he reflects. “I really firmly believe they will help build a better future for all of us.”

On a typical day, “there’s so much excitement and engagement on a college campus, you can’t help but get caught up in the positive energy,” he adds. “And even when things don’t go so well, you realize over time, most of the days are good and the work is valuable.”

He looks at the hospital in the same way. “The work is so important and so many patients are thankful and grateful,” he reflects. “There’s real power in that.”