New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“FALL RIVER, NEW BEDFORD and WAREHAM, Mass. – Southcoast Health physician, Dennis LaRock, MD, has accepted the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Officer effective March 1, 2024.
“I am pleased to announce we have selected Dennis LaRock, MD, from an incredibly talented group of candidates to serve as the Chief Physician Officer for Southcoast Health,” said David McCready, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southcoast Health. “With more than 25 years of experience across the organization in numerous leadership positions, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to clinical excellence and advancement. I am confident Dr. LaRock will continue to strengthen and develop our clinical services, ensuring Southcoast Health continues to deliver exceptional care to our community at the same level as larger hospitals nearby in Boston or Providence.”
The Chief Physician Officer is the senior-most physician leader for Southcoast Health and is charged with ensuring the highest levels of quality clinical care throughout the system. Dr. LaRock succeeds Rayford Kruger, MD, FACS, who held this position beginning in 2021 up until his retirement earlier this month.
South Coast Health photo.
Dr. LaRock most recently served as the Physician-in-Chief of Surgical Services at Southcoast Health overseeing the surgical departments of Brain and Spine, Ear Nose and Throat, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Trauma and Urology. He was appointed to this position in 2022 in addition to his roles as the Co-Chief of Urology and Chief of Robotic Surgery at Southcoast Health, positions he has held since 2005 and 2008 respectively. He will retain the responsibilities of these positions for the immediate future.
“I am delighted to accept the Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Officer position at Southcoast Health and continue working to advance the care and services we provide to our patients and community,” said Dr. LaRock.
“In this role, I am honored to continue working alongside our incredible team of providers, nurses and staff to deliver exceptional care right here, close to home. I have seen our health system make tremendous progress over the last 25 years, and I am looking forward to continuing to bring new treatments, technology and services to the South Coast region.”
Dr. LaRock first became a member of the Southcoast Hospitals Group (SHG) Medical Staff in 1998 and his private practice joined Southcoast Physician Group (SPG) in 2012. He is board certified in adult and pediatric urology and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Urology.
Within this new role, he will continue seeing patients at the Southcoast Health outpatient offices in Fairhaven and Fall River and performing surgical cases in Southcoast Health facilities.
To learn more about Dr. LaRock please click here.
About Southcoast Health
Founded in 1996, Southcoast Health serves communities across southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island as the largest provider of primary and specialty care in the region. The not-for-profit, charitable system includes three acute care hospitals – Charlton Memorial in Fall River, St. Luke’s in New Bedford (a Level II Trauma Center), and Tobey in Wareham, Massachusetts with a physician network of more than 675 providers.
The system has established more than 55 service locations across the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including six urgent care locations, a Visiting Nurse Association, the Southcoast Health Cancer Center, the region’s only Level II Adult Trauma Center and numerous ancillary facilities.
Southcoast Health has been recognized consecutively for five years in a row as a Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital from 2019-2023 and named a Maternity Care Access Hospital for 2023-2024 by U.S. News & World Report. The organization was recognized as the best place to work for the sixth consecutive year by Southcoast Media Group’s community choice awards.
With upward of 7,500 employees, Southcoast Health is the largest employer in southeastern Massachusetts, and one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth, according to the Boston Business Journal. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org.”
