Montez Carter, President of St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens and former President of St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro, has been named President and CEO of St. Mary's Health Care System, effective today.

Carter had earlier accepted the position of acting President and CEO following the announcement in early November that Don McKenna, President and CEO since 2009, would be leaving for the top post at a large hospital in Jupiter, Fla.

"This appointment reflects Montez’s strong, strategic leadership and operational excellence since joining our Georgia ministry seven years ago," say Jean Chin, MD, chair of St. Mary's Board of Directors, and Mike Slubowski, President and COO of Trinity Health in a joint announcement.

Carter becomes just the fourth President and CEO of St. Mary's since 1966, when the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus turned over administrative duties to lay professionals. He follows E. J. Fechtel, Jr., Tom Fitz, and McKenna.

Carter has been President of St. Mary’s Hospital since March 2017 after serving as President of St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital since 2012. He joined St. Mary's Hospital in Athens in October 2010 as Vice President of Operations. Prior to coming to Athens, he served at Greenwood Leflore Hospital in Greenwood, Miss., where he was director of pharmacy services and then as Associate Director of Performance Improvement and Patient Support Services. He earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Alabama and his doctoral degree in pharmacy from the University of Mississippi.

St. Mary’s Health Care System, part of the nationwide Trinity Health ministry, features hospitals in Athens, Greensboro and Lavonia. The system also includes a large network of primary care practices and physician specialists, a regional home health care/hospice services agency, Highland Hills Village retirement community with assisted living and memory care, and numerous outpatient facilities.