Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz Welcomes New Chief Executive Officer

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz, part of the not-for-profit Sutter Health integrated network of care, recently celebrated the appointment of Stephanie Connor Kent to chief executive officer of the acute care hospital. Connor Kent, a registered nurse, has held the position of chief nurse executive at the hospital since 2017 and assumed additional responsibilities as interim chief administrative officer in 2023 while continuing her CNE role.

"Stephanie's skilled leadership has helped Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz achieve numerous certifications including Baby-Friendly Hospital, Advanced Perinatal Center of Excellence, as well as Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology Surgery and Robotic Surgery," said Greater Silicon Valley Market President Kevin Cook. "We are so pleased that Stephanie is continuing her career at Sutter Health by stepping into the permanent CEO role, full-time."

As CNE, Connor Kent, who holds a master of nursing degree, oversaw all nursing care at Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz. She ensured that patients had an excellent healthcare experience during births, surgeries and other procedures at the hospital. She also planned and implemented one of the first drive-through COVID vaccination sites in Santa Cruz County, and in Sutter, during the early days of public vaccination efforts.

Connor Kent previously led the Family Medicine and Internal Medicine service line at Sutter's Palo Alto Medical Foundation. While at PAMF she helped implement an integrated behavioral health program across multiple primary care clinics. Prior to joining Sutter, Connor Kent was an emergency room nurse at the University of Washington and a public health nurse at Yakima Neighborhood Health Services in Washington State.

Connor Kent began her new position as CEO on April 15, 2024.