Meet Ellen Moloney

“It is an absolute honor and privilege to lead this incredible hospital, your hospital,” Ellen Moloney reflected in addressing the hundreds of guests at Newton-Wellesley’s annual Gala this May.

It’s a sentiment she’s often repeated in joyfully representing the hospital at community events this spring.

In March 2023, Ellen became Newton-Wellesley’s first woman president after serving as the hospital’s Chief Operating Officer since 2014. She describes her new role as President and COO as the “capstone” of her 26-year career at NWH.

“For generations, Newton-Wellesley has been here when our neighbors need us most,” she says. “I want everyone in our community to know that we always will be here.”

The best candidate

In 1997, a Newton-Wellesley team called on her as a consultant to help find the best candidate to fill a key position. To make a long story short, as she recounts, the supervisor decided she’d be the best person.

Ever since, she’s appreciated how so many wonderful leaders have given her the opportunity to learn and grow.

Her initial NWH role has led to increasingly responsible leadership roles as Senior Vice President for Outpatient Services and then COO. She also served as Interim President from December 2015 to September 2016. She has been a guiding force in the design and implementation of countless strategic initiatives.

Always learning

A believer in remembering where you come from, she traces her first exposure to the medical world to family dinners. Her grandmother was a nurse, and her grandfather was a general practitioner. They met in the back of an ambulance. During her childhood in Beverly, Mass., “he delivered half of my friends,” she says with a laugh.

After earning her BS from Rivier University, she began her own healthcare career as a medical technologist in the laboratory at Salem Hospital, where she rose to supervisory and management positions. She later earned her MBA from Bentley University.

In everything she does, she strives to be an active listener and approach her daily work with humility and humor. “In a complex, rapidly changing world, you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she adds. “I learn something new every day.”

What remains constant

During her career at Newton-Wellesley, “I have seen and experienced the power of change,” she says. “What remains constant is our patient-centered culture, the dedication and skill of our caregivers, and our community focus. These are all so deeply rooted here.”

To her, “Newton-Wellesley has always offered the best of both worlds.” It’s small enough to get to know people and maintain a warm and friendly culture. Yet at the same time, it offers a world-class staff as well as access to the extraordinary resources of the Mass General Brigham system.

“When I think about our many strengths, I count NewtonWellesley’s place in the Mass General Brigham system among them,” she adds. “We are a critical component in its current and future success.” For any leader, “building relationships is critical,” she says, and she’s built them across the hospital and the system.

At the heart of everything

Ultimately, she sees herself as a steward of NewtonWellesley. “We have a clear and powerful identity and sense of place,” she reflects. “At the heart of everything we are a community hospital.

Looking to the future, “we aspire to be the best hospital we can be,” she says. “I’m excited by the legacy that we’ll leave behind.”