About Us - Management Team

Steward Health Care System Senior Leadership Team

Ralph de la Torre, MD
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Ralph de la Torre is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Steward Health Care System LLC, New England's largest fully integrated community care organization with eleven hospitals, 17,000 employees and other affiliates, including a home health care company, a nursing college and an imaging company. Within two years of becoming CEO of Caritas Christi, Dr. de la Torre dramatically improved the system. During this time, Dr. de la Torre implemented changes in governance, operational structure and strategy, leading to the creation of a fully integrated community care organization with significant participation in risk contracting. Before joining Caritas, Dr. de la Torre was the founder and CEO of the Cardiovascular Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and of Cardiovascular Management Associates, one of the nation's first totally integrated systems for treating cardiac patients. At the same time Dr. de la Torre was Chief of Cardiac Surgery at BIDMC and a Harvard Medical Faculty Physician at BIDMC. He has founded several health care-related businesses and has numerous issued or pending patents. A frequent commentator on national health care policy issues, Dr. de la Torre has bylined and/or been featured in BusinessWeek, Fortune and CNBC, among others. He was recently voted one of the 25 most powerful physician executives in the United States by Modern Healthcare magazine. Dr. de la Torre graduated from Duke University in 1988 (BSE), where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi, and from a joint program between Harvard Medical School (MD) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS) in 1992.

Justine Carr, MD
Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Carr is Chief Medical Officer of Steward Health Care System. Prior to that, she was the Chief Medical Officer of Caritas Christi Health Care. She is a hematologist and formerly held assistant professor positions in Medicine, Surgery and Pathology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Carr received her medical degree at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and trained at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Carr has broad experience in organizational aspects of health care delivery, including quality and safety, clinical resource management, work flow redesign and health information technology in service of care delivery. Dr. Carr has chaired the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics, an 18-member public advisory board to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on health data strategy and implementation of HIPAA privacy and administrative simplification. She currently chairs the Working Group on HHS Data Access and Use within NCVHS.

Brian Carty
Chief Marketing Officer

Brian Carty is Chief Marketing Officer of Steward Health Care System. Mr. Carty is nationally recognized as a preeminent authority on marketing in service companies. He has served as president of three advertising agencies, including Hill Holliday in Boston. There he and his team doubled the size of the company in 18 months and acquired new clients, including Verizon Wireless, Fidelity Investments, Dunkin' Donuts and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. After leaving Hill Holliday, Mr. Carty became the CEO of one of the hottest marketing service companies in the Internet boom, Wheelhouse Corporation. He also spent time in the health care industry. Under Governor Michael Dukakis, Mr. Carty was the CEO of MIFA, the state's investment bank, where, among other things, he issued more than $1 billion in health care bonds for Massachusetts hospitals. Additionally, Mr. Carty, an honors graduate of Harvard College, was the global-partner-in-charge of marketing at Coopers & Lybrand, one of the world's largest private companies.

Michael G. Callum, MD
President - Steward Medical Group

Dr. Michael G. Callum is President of Steward Medical Group, an extensive network of Steward physicians, including specialists and primary care physicians. Dr. Callum is the former President of Urology Consultants of the North Shore, and was Associate Chief of Urology at North Shore Medical Center. Dr. Callum is a graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine, where he received his MA in medical science and his MD. He also holds an MS in public health from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), and a Diplomat of the American Board of Urology. Dr. Callum remains an active member of Steward's Urology Specialty practice, and has authored several studies focused primarily on urologic health and screening. He also has received numerous awards and recognition, including the Lahey Clinic Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Urology.

Mark Girard, MD, MBA
President - Steward Health Care Network

Dr. Mark Girard is President of Steward Health Care Network, a managed-care system comprised of member physicians from affiliated Independent Practice Associations. Prior to being named President of Steward Health Care Network, Dr. Girard served as Vice President of Specialty Care and Vice President of Network Imaging Services for Caritas Christi Health Care Network. He is a practicing interventional radiologist and was formerly President and CEO of Commonwealth Radiology Associates, and the Medical-Staff President at North Shore Medical Center. Dr. Girard is a graduate of Harvard Medical School, and Bowdoin College with a BA in physical chemistry. He also holds an MBA. from Salem State College Graduate School of Business. Dr. Girard is an active member of the American College of Health Care Executives and the American College of Physician Executives. He frequently lectures on the business of medicine and quality management in health care.

Stuart Grief
Chief Administrative Officer

Stuart Grief is Chief Administrative Officer for Steward Health Care System. Mr. Grief has broad business experience in corporate development, operations, and business and market strategy in addition to his expertise in human resources. Mr. Grief was the Chief Human Resources Officer for Fidelity Investments, a $12 billion global financial services company with over 40,000 employees, where he was a corporate officer and member of the 10-person Executive Committee. Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Mr. Grief was Vice President for Strategy and Business Development for Textron, Inc. a prominent aircraft, defense and industrial business, where he was responsible for the development and execution of the portfolio strategy for the business. Mr. Grief was Partner and Managing Director of The Boston Consulting Group for 14 years, leading client relationships and working closely with senior executives in industrial goods, technology and financial services companies ranging from under $500 million to Fortune Top 10 organizations. Mr. Grief earned his B.A. degree (magna cum laude) in economics and computer science from Brandeis University, and his M.S. from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Robert Guyon
Executive Vice President

Robert Guyon is Executive Vice President for Steward Health Care System. Mr. Guyon was formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Steward Health Care System, and was COO of Caritas Christi Health Care prior to Steward. Previously, he served as the President of Saint Anne's Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, and Chief Financial Officer of Caritas Christi Health Care. Before becoming a hospital administrator, Mr. Guyon served as a senior manager of Deloitte & Touche in Boston. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Mr. Guyon is also a retired lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve.

Joseph Maher, Jr., Esq.
General Counsel

Joseph Maher Jr., Esq., is General Counsel of Steward Health Care System. Attorney Maher is one of the top health care lawyers in New England and has vast experience in governmental affairs. As a partner at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, he served as the partner-in-charge of the firm's Boston office and chaired the firm's health care practice. In addition, Attorney Maher chaired the governmental affairs practice at both Foley, Hoag and EAPD, respectively. He has also served as an executive vice president and chief legal officer of a major regional health care group-purchasing company doing business in New England and the Middle East. Attorney Maher has been involved in many of the region's largest hospital merger transactions and has been active in the creation of many hospital-physician ventures. As vice-chairman of the University Hospital board of trustees, Attorney Maher was instrumental in creating Boston Medical Center. He also was instrumental, as a board member, in merging Brigham and Women's Hospital and Faulkner Hospital. Attorney Maher is an honors graduate from Boston College and received his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Karen Murray, MBA, FACHE, CHC, CHRC
Chief Compliance Officer

Karen Murray is the Chief Compliance Officer of Steward Health Care System. Previously, she served as the Chief Compliance Officer for the Yale New Haven Health System. Ms. Murray has over 12 years of experience implementing and managing effective compliance and privacy programs. She obtained her MBA with a graduate certificate in finance from Southern New Hampshire University and is certified in both health care compliance and research compliance. Ms. Murray is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Joshua Putter
President - Steward Hospitals

Joshua Putter is the President of Steward Hospitals. He is responsible for overseeing all hospital operations. Mr. Putter brings over 22 years of hospital management experience, including oversight of a 13-hospital system in Florida as a Division President of Health Management Associates, as well as serving as CEO, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director for hospitals in Florida, Oklahoma and Texas. Mr. Putter received his BS from Texas A&M, and his MBA/MHA from the University of Houston.

Mark Rich
Chief Financial Officer

Mark Rich serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Steward Health Care System. Previously, he was Executive Vice President for Corporate Strategy where he led Steward’s acquisition program resulting in the doubling of the System’s size in its first 18 months. Prior to that, Mark was the Chief Financial Officer of Caritas Christi Health Care. During his tenure as CFO, Caritas Christi saw a $50 million turnaround in earnings, a significant improvement in cash flow, an increase in working capital and substantial increases in managed care rates. Mr. Rich previously served as partner and director in the Health Care Consulting Division at Feeley & Driscoll, P.C. Mr. Rich graduated from the State University of New York, Binghamton.

Drexel DeFord
Chief Information Officer

Drexel DeFord is Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Steward Health Care System.  He has extensive healthcare information services experience, most recently as Senior Vice President/CIO at Seattle Children’s Health System and Research Institute; and prior to that as Corporate VP/CIO at Scripps Health in San Diego, CA.  Drex also served in various CIO senior leadership roles with the United States Air Force, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.  He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), and a Fellow (and currently Board of Trustees Chair) with the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).  He has a Bachelor’s in Business from the University of Maryland, a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma, and Master of Science degree in Health Informatics from the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Steward Health Care System Board of Directors

Ralph de la Torre, MD

Dr. Ralph de la Torre is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Steward Health Care System LLC, New England's largest fully integrated community care organization with eleven hospitals, 17,000 employees and other affiliates, including a home health care company, a nursing college and an imaging company. Within two years of becoming CEO of Caritas Christi, Dr. de la Torre dramatically improved the system. During this time, Dr. de la Torre implemented changes in governance, operational structure and strategy, leading to the creation of a fully integrated community care organization with significant participation in risk contracting. Before joining Caritas, Dr. de la Torre was the founder and CEO of the Cardiovascular Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and of Cardiovascular Management Associates, one of the nation's first totally integrated systems for treating cardiac patients. At the same time Dr. de la Torre was Chief of Cardiac Surgery at BIDMC and a Harvard Medical Faculty Physician at BIDMC. He has founded several health care-related businesses and has numerous issued or pending patents. A frequent commentator on national health care policy issues, Dr. de la Torre has bylined and/or been featured in BusinessWeek, Fortune and CNBC, among others. He was recently voted one of the 25 most powerful physician executives in the United States by Modern Healthcare magazine. Dr. de la Torre graduated from Duke University in 1988 (BSE), where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi, and from a joint program between Harvard Medical School (MD) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS) in 1992.

W. Brett Ingersoll

W. Brett Ingersoll serves as a Co-Head of Private Equity and is a member of the Investment Committee at Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., a private investment firm with over $24 billion in capital under management. He currently serves as a director of ACE Aviation Holdings, AerCap Holdings NV, IAP Worldwide Services, Talecris Biotherapeutics, EnduraCare Therapy Management, Inc. and EntreCap Financial, LLC. Over the course of his investment career, Mr. Ingersoll has served on the boards of over 25 public and private companies in which he has sponsored investments primarily in North America and Europe. Approximately 10 of those companies have been U.S.-based health care services or product companies, while the remainder have focused their business activities on the transportation, aerospace, specialty finance, consumer products, defense/government services and general industrial sectors. Prior to joining Cerberus in 2002, Mr. Ingersoll was a General Partner at JPMorgan Partners, where he headed the investment firm's Healthcare Services investment practice and served as a member of its Investment Committee. Mr. Ingersoll received his MBAfrom Harvard Business School and received his BA from Brigham Young University.

Lisa Ann Gray, Esq.

Lisa Ann Gray, Esq. is the General Counsel of Cerberus Operations Advisory Company, LLC and a member of its executive team. In this capacity, Attorney Gray is responsible for matters involving the oversight of companies in the private equity portfolio of Cerberus Capital Management, LP., a leading global investment firm. With special expertise in legal resource management and business strategy, Attorney Gray helps transform under performing companies into financially and operationally sound organizations. Attorney Gray has served on numerous non-profit and corporate boards and has particular interest and expertise in the field of health care. Attorney Gray was previously a member of the Ethics Committee of United Hospital (now part of Allina Medical Systems). She also served as Vice Chair of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation Home Care Advisory Board, a private, non-profit health and human services organization dedicated to promoting the social welfare of the most vulnerable residents in the greater St. Paul area. She holds a BA in sociology and education from Hamline University and graduated with honors from William Mitchell College of Law. She has also completed graduate coursework in special education at St. Thomas University.

Arthur H. Halper

Arthur H. Halper is a Senior Operations Executive at Cerberus Operations and Advisory Company, LLC, a subsidiary of Cerberus Capital Management, LP. In this capacity, he is responsible for a range of activities relating to the review, acquisition and board oversight of companies in the Cerberus investment portfolio. Prior to joining Cerberus in 2006, Mr. Halper served as President and Chief Operating Officer and a Director of Active Health Management, Inc., an information-driven health care services company. Previously, Mr. Halper served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Tricordia Health, LLC, a health care services industry venture capital firm. Prior to that, Mr. Halper held a variety of financial and executive management positions, including President, Chief Operating Officer, and Director of Merit Behavioral Care Corporation, an $800 million behavioral health care company. Mr. Halper is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a BA in business administration from Rutgers University.

James J. Karam

James J. Karam is President and founder of First Bristol Corporation, a developer of retail shopping centers, office buildings and hotels throughout southern New England. As a general partner and co-developer of several major award winning residential developments, he has been recognized for his contribution to three Massachusetts award-winning historic rehabilitation projects, and in 2007 one of his hotel developments was selected as the "Outstanding Hotel Conversion" in the United States by Hilton Hotels. Mr. Karam is also the co-owner of WSAR and WHTB, radio stations serving the South Coast region of Massachusetts. He has devoted significant time to civic and charitable organizations by acting as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Caritas Christi until its sale, and is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the University of Massachusetts, Co-Chairman of the Southcoast CEO Group, and Southcoast Economic Development partnership. Mr. Karam is an alumnus of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

Ruben King-Shaw, Jr.

Ruben King-Shaw, Jr., is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mansa Equity Partners, Inc. The firm specializes in growth companies in the health care services and health care technology sectors as they prepare for expansion, acquisition, privatization or IPO. Mr. King-Shaw served as Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 2001 to 2003. He was also Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury, where he led the Administration's Health Coverage Tax Credit policies to finance coverage for the uninsured. Prior to joining the George W. Bush Administration, Mr. King-Shaw was the Secretary for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Mr. King-Shaw has served on the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees since September 2005 and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board. In addition, Mr. King-Shaw is a member of the Cornell University Council and Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations Advisory Council. Mr. King-Shaw was awarded his B.S. from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He earned his Master of International Business at the Center for International Studies in Madrid, Spain, and the Chapman Graduate School of Business in Miami, Florida.

James T. Lenehan

James T. Lenehan is a Senior Operations advisor to Cerberus Capital Management, LP. Prior to Cerberus, he was Vice Chairman and President of Johnson & Johnson. Mr. Lenehan held various executive positions at Johnson & Johnson during his 28-year tenure, including President of McNeil Consumer Products Company and Worldwide Chairman, Consumer Pharmaceuticals & Professional Group. Mr. Lenehan served on the Foundation Board of Abington Hospital in Abington, Pennsylvania. He also was a member of the Quality and Safety Committee of the hospital from 2004 to 2008. Mr. Lenehan earned his BA in economics from the University of Akron and his MBA from Northwestern University.

Chan W. Galbato

Chan Galbato is Chief Executive Officer of Cerberus Operations and Advisory Company, LLC. He serves as Chairman of three Cerberus portfolio companies: Blue Bird Corporation, North American Bus Industries, Inc., and YP Holdings LLC. Prior to joining Cerberus, Mr. Galbato owned and managed CWG Hillside Investments LLC, a consulting business providing operational and strategic turnaround expertise to CEOs of portfolio-based companies. Prior to that, Galbato was President and CEO of the Controls Group of businesses for Invensys and President of Services of the commercial distribution arm of companies for The Home Depot. Mr. Galbato also served previously as President and Chief Executive Officer of Armstrong Floor products and Chief Executive Officer of Choice Parts, a joint-venture start-up. He spent 14 years with General Electric Company, holding several operating and Finance leadership positions as well as holding the role of President and CEO, Coregis in G.E. Capital. Before beginning his business career he played professional baseball with the Montreal Expos in their minor league system. Mr. Galbato holds a Master degree in Business Administration from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the State University of New York.