Lifespan Names New Vice President of Community Relations
(posted February 12, 2010)
Gertrude F. Jones has been promoted to the newly-created position of vice president of community relations for Lifespan. Jones, of Warwick, has served for the past six years as the health care system’s director of diversity.
In her new role, Jones will have responsibility for assessing the needs of the neighborhoods surrounding Rhode Island Hospital and its Hasbro Children’s Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, Bradley Hospital and Newport Hospital, as well as other communities served by Lifespan. She will focus on creating strategic relationships to support Lifespan’s goal of being both the health care provider and employer of choice. She will also continue to provide leadership and oversight to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Jones will work closely with the community relations committee of the Lifespan Board of Directors. Armeather Gibbs, executive vice president and chief operating officer of United Way of Rhode Island, chairs the committee. She said, “I have known Gertrude on a personal and professional level for many years and Lifespan made a very good choice in selecting her for this new position. Gertrude has done a tremendous job bringing diversity awareness to a new level at Lifespan and I am especially excited about working with Gertrude in her new role. With Gertrude leading the effort, I am confident that we will have a strong base from which to develop a clear, coordinated, focused and effective community relations approach for Lifespan.”
Brandon Melton, Lifespan senior vice president for human resources said, “Gertrude is recognized as a community leader in the state and region as well as on a national level in the health care industry. Lifespan is fortunate to be able to promote someone as widely respected and well-prepared as Gertrude Jones for this important new executive management position at Lifespan.”
Prior to joining Lifespan, Jones was the deputy director of the Urban League of Rhode Island, the state’s largest community-based organization. She served on the Providence School Board for six years, including three years as its president. Jones is a member of the American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity’s prestigious American Leadership Council and serves on the boards of numerous other community organizations.