Greenwich Hospital appoints new medical director for intensive and respiratory care

Greenwich Hospital has appointed Michael J. Franco, MD, as medical director of the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU) and Respiratory Care Services in a move that enhances patient care. 

Dr. Franco has served as medical director of the MSICU since 2004. Under his tenure, the MSICU has expanded to accommodate a growing number of critically ill patients. Last year, in collaboration with Yale New Haven Health System, Greenwich added the InSight Tele-ICU, which allows critical care intensivists to assist in managing patients overnight from a remote location.

In his new expanded role, Dr. Franco will oversee inpatient and outpatient respiratory care services at Greenwich Hospital. Among other things, respiratory therapists are responsible for the ventilators used to support critically ill patients in the MSICU. Outpatient respiratory care services are provided by the hospital’s Pulmonary Physiology Laboratory.

"Dr. Franco has been a Greenwich Hospital clinical leader in intensive care for 11 years and a major educator of our academic medicine residency, nursing and respiratory therapy programs. His care and empathetic approach to patients is exemplary," said Spike Lipschutz, MD, senior vice president of medical services and chief medical officer.

“I’m very excited about my new role,” said Franco. “The MSICU and respiratory care teams work closely together. Having one medical director will further enhance our ability to provide patients with comprehensive and coordinated high-quality care.”

A graduate of the University of Texas Medical School, Dr. Franco completed a fellowship in pulmonary medicine at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. He began teaching pulmonary medicine to medical residents at Greenwich Hospital in 1997 and joined the hospital's medical staff in 2000. 

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Greenwich Hospital is a member of Yale New Haven Health. Greenwich is a 206-bed (includes 32 isolettes) community hospital serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. It is a academic affiliate of Yale School of Medicine. Since opening in 1903, Greenwich Hospital has evolved into a progressive medical center and teaching institution representing all medical specialties and offering a wide range of medical, surgical, diagnostic and wellness programs. Greenwich Hospital is recognized throughout the healthcare industry as a leader in service and patient satisfaction excellence. Greenwich Hospital has the prestigious Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s highest honor of nursing excellence. www.greenwichhospital.org