The Bassett Healthcare Network’s Board of Directors has a new chairman.
According to a Bassett news release, Robert Hanft, aformer executive at J.P. Morgan and current senior adviser with Strategic Financial Services in Utica, has been elected to the position. He will serve a three-year term. Hanft succeeds Douglas Hastings, who was elected as chair in 2019 and has finished his term.
Hanft joined the board in 2020, the release stated. He has served as a member of Bassett’s executive committee, chairman of Bassett’s finance committee, and as a member of Bassett’s strategic planning committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Bassett Medical Center, which he joined in 2017, and Templeton Foundation. Hanft’s other local community work includes serving on the boards of Pathfinder Village, Fenimore Art Museum and Springbrook, according to the release.
Originally from Seaford, Long Island, Hanft is an alumnus of Hartwick College. In 2018, Hartwick College awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree. He served on Hartwick College’s Board of Directors for 18 years, including six as chairman of the board.
“Bob is an experienced leader who has a deep knowledge of Bassett and a passion for rural healthcare,” said Staci Thompson, president and CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network. “We are fortunate to have Bob at the helm of our network board. He brings decades of strategic business knowledge, along with a striking devotion to our communities, a love for upstate New York, and an unwavering faith in Bassett’s values and mission.”
Outgoing board chair Hastings “played a key leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the release stated.
“We are incredibly grateful to Doug for his steadfast voice of reason, dedication, and the countless ways he worked with leaders across our organization and beyond as Bassett Healthcare Network came through challenges over the past few years,” Thompson said. “Our board and executive teams have evolved positively under Doug’s leadership and Bassett is well-positioned to continue the critical initiatives we have in place to thrive as a healthcare provider.”
Hanft and his wife, Pat, live in Cooperstown.
“I am deeply honored to serve as a steward of Bassett Healthcare Network, a vital organization in our Central New York communities,” Hanft said. “I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow board members across the network, along with the outstanding caregivers and practitioners who are at the heart of this organization, to ensure Bassett’s success – and connect our patients and communities with the exceptional health care they deserve.”