Heywood Healthcare Names UMass Memorial’s Dr. Kavita Babu as Chief Medical Officer
Community health advocate and emergency medicine physician joins Gardner-based health system leadership team
GARDNER, Mass. — Heywood Healthcare has appointed Dr. Kavita Babu, a longtime physician leader at UMass Memorial Health and professor at UMass Chan Medical School, as its next chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs, according to reporting by the Worcester Business Journal (WBJ).
As reported by WBJ, Babu will join the Gardner-based healthcare system after more than a decade at UMass Memorial Health, where she most recently served as medical director of community benefits and practiced as an emergency medicine physician. She is also a professor of emergency medicine at UMass Chan Medical School.
“Dr. Babu’s depth of experience, clinical expertise, and commitment to patient-centered care make her an outstanding addition to our leadership team,” Heywood President and CEO Rozanna Penney said in announcing the appointment.
Babu succeeds Dr. Frank Sweeney, who announced plans earlier this year to return to retirement. Sweeney had come out of retirement in January 2025 to serve as chief medical officer while Heywood Healthcare worked through a critical period of recovery following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring.
According to WBJ, Babu brings extensive experience in both clinical care and community health initiatives. She earned her undergraduate degree and medical degree from Brown University and later completed an MBA at the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.
Throughout her career, Babu has been recognized for her work addressing substance use disorders and healthcare access challenges. At UMass Memorial, she served as the organization’s first chief opioid officer and helped lead several programs focused on vulnerable populations.
Among her notable initiatives are the Medical Respite Program, which provides care and support for individuals experiencing homelessness and medical needs, and Road to Care, a mobile health clinic offering free medical services to people facing housing insecurity, food insecurity, and substance use disorders.
Her appointment comes as Heywood Healthcare continues to strengthen its leadership team and rebuild following financial challenges that led to its bankruptcy filing. The health system operates hospitals in Gardner and Athol, as well as Heywood Medical Group, a nonprofit network of primary care and specialty physicians serving communities across North Central Massachusetts.
Babu’s background in emergency medicine, public health, and community-based care is expected to support Heywood’s ongoing efforts to expand access to healthcare services and improve patient outcomes throughout the region.
