Avrett to lead Goodwin and Families First as new CEO
SOMERSWORTH/PORTSMOUTH — Greater Seacoast Community Health has named Jim Avrett as Chief Executive Officer, following a national search process. Avrett will replace current CEO Janet Laatsch, who in April announced her intention to retire from Greater Seacoast. Avrett is currently the organization’s Chief Operating Officer and will assume the CEO position on Oct. 1.
During the selection process the Board of Director’s Executive Transition Committee performed both an internal and national external search for qualified candidates. Board and Transition Committee Chair Jennifer Glidden said, “We welcome Mr. Avrett as our new Chief Executive Officer. Jim has diverse health care executive experience and has already proven operational effectiveness for the organization. He is a dynamic, values-driven health care leader who holds a passion for our mission of delivering quality health services and support to the Seacoast community.”
“We also want to thank Janet for her years of leadership of Greater Seacoast. The impact she made leaves a legacy of expanding and enhancing patient services and support in both of our beautiful new community health centers she helped build during her tenure—Goodwin Community Health in Somersworth and Families First in Portsmouth.” Laatsch will serve as a resource to the organization through the end of 2023 to help with the transition.
Avrett’s 30 years of health care experience includes management positions at the two largest not-for-profit health-care alliances in the country, Vizient and Premier, and the North Broward Hospital District in Florida, a large public health system that had full clinical and financial responsibility for the region’s indigent population. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Care Management from the University of Alabama and an MBA from the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida. He is certified in Lean for Healthcare through the University of Texas. Avrett is a Dover resident.
Goodwin Community Health in Somersworth and Families First in Portsmouth merged to create Greater Seacoast Community Health in 2018. They provide primary care, pediatrics, dental care, prenatal care, behavioral health counseling, substance use disorder treatment, mobile health services, the Strafford County Public Health Network, Women Infant and Children nutrition (WIC), social work services, a pharmacy, parenting classes, playgroups and home visiting. For more information, visit GetCommunityHealth.org.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Avrett to lead Goodwin and Families First as new CEO
