Griffin Health Names Dr. João D. Fontes Chair of the Department of Medicine

Griffin Health is proud to announce Dr. João Daniel Trindade Fontes, MD, MPH, FACC, as its new Chair of the Department of Medicine.

Dr. Fontes brings a rare combination of deep clinical expertise, population health leadership, and academic rigor to the role. As Chair, he will lead the strategic direction of Griffin's medical services, overseeing clinical quality and safety, guiding physician engagement and performance, and identifying where new technology and innovation can improve how care is delivered. With extensive knowledge, experience, and leadership in academic and clinical healthcare, Dr. Fontes will be an instrumental addition to Griffin as it continues to evolve and enhance population health and value-based care initiatives.

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Dr. Fontes trained at Boston University School of Medicine, completing his residency in internal medicine alongside fellowships in advanced heart failure and cardiovascular medicine, and concurrent with a research fellowship in cardiovascular epidemiology at the landmark Framingham Heart Study. He holds a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Clinical Effectiveness from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he built the analytical foundation he now applies to quality measurement, cost-effectiveness, and care delivery design.

Prior to Griffin, Dr. Fontes served as Director of Inpatient Cardiology Services and Director of Innovation and Technology in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He also served as Director of Quality and Population Outcomes at Pacific Cardiovascular Associates in Orange County, California, where he led practice-wide initiatives to improve outcomes and cost efficiency across a large cardiology group. He has held faculty appointments as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He was recognized for exceptional instruction of residents and fellows with the Teaching Faculty of the Year Award at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Across these roles, Dr. Fontes has excelled in translating clinical expertise into stronger operational outcomes for the organizations he serves.

Dr. Fontes' commitment to accessible, high-quality care extends internationally. He has volunteered as a cardiologist and Board member with Moyo Cardiac Missions in Tanzania as part of an effort to advance complex cardiac care in emerging countries. These missions provide cardiac imaging, consultation, and hands-on training to local physicians and technologists caring for patients with congenital and rheumatic heart disease.

"I'm proud to take on this role, and my focus is to be an exceptional leader," Dr. Fontes said. "Griffin's person-centered approach to care, and its commitment to the health of this community, is exactly what brought me here. Throughout my career, I've been drawn to work that connects what happens at the bedside to how a health system performs as a whole. I look forward to strengthening the quality of care, partnering with our physicians to ensure consistent care delivery based on best practices, and a population health and value-based care strategy that serves patients well beyond our walls."

About Griffin Health

Griffin Health is a not-for-profit health care system that includes the award-winning Griffin Hospital, an independent community teaching hospital located in Derby, Connecticut and its integrated medical practice Griffin Faculty Physicians. Griffin Hospital is a 160-bed acute care community hospital serving more than 130,000 residents of the Lower Naugatuck Valley Region.

Griffin Hospital is the flagship hospital for Planetree, an international consumer healthcare organization dedicated to promoting patient-centered care, and has received national recognition for creating a healthcare facility and an approach to patient care that is responsive to the needs of the whole person and their loved ones. Griffin's commitment to the patient-centered care philosophy enhances its mission to improve the well-being of its communities by empowering individuals with health education, wellness programs and assistance with conditions that adversely affect health. Many healthcare organizations around the world send visitors to Griffin Hospital's facilities and incorporate its Planetree concepts into their healthcare delivery models.

Griffin Hospital is recognized for having industry-leading patient satisfaction ratings and has received numerous quality and clinical excellence awards. Griffin Hospital was listed as one of the "World's Best Hospitals" by Newsweek magazine for eight consecutive years (2019-2026), awarded Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care™ by Planetree International, was named one of "Becker's 100 Great Community Hospitals" the highly reputable healthcare specialty publication Becker's Hospital Review for continued focus on equity, patient satisfaction, innovation, and improving the health needs of the surrounding community, and is one of Money magazine's Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery 2026 based on excellence in orthopedic care, patient outcomes, and clinical expertise.