Bob Duncan Named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Connecticut Children’s

Hartford, CT – After an extensive national search, Bob Duncan has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Connecticut Children’s and will join the pediatric health system on February 7, 2022.

Duncan has more than two decades of leadership experience in strategic planning, performance improvement and business development at large healthcare systems. At Connecticut Children’s, Duncan will serve as a member of the executive management team and report directly to Chief Executive Officer Jim Shmerling. He will lead and help execute the health system’s new five-year strategic plan which includes the ground-breaking and construction of a new, 225,000 square foot in-patient hospital tower.

Duncan last worked at Children’s Wisconsin, where he served as the executive vice president of the hospital and president of Children’s Community Health Plan, a $450+ million insurance company that provides Medicaid, Special Populations and Private Market health plans to children in Wisconsin. During his time at Children’s Wisconsin, he developed and implemented strategic contracting models and clinically integrated systems of care across the Children’s Wisconsin System. He co-led the development of the system’s comprehensive mental and behavioral health strategic plan and managed the Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin, a $40 million social service agency that provides foster care, adoption, behavioral health and family support services in Wisconsin.

“We are very excited to bring such a well-regarded, dynamic and innovative leader in pediatrics to Connecticut Children’s and our region,” said Jim Shmerling, Connecticut Children’s President & CEO. “Bob’s experience, expertise and enthusiasm for children will be critical to Connecticut Children’s future as we work to expand our footprint, our reach and improve access to care for all children.”

Duncan received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Memphis and his MBA from the University of Tennessee at Martin. He also completed the Johnson & Johnson/UCLA Health Care Executive Program at UCLA.

About Connecticut Children’s
Connecticut Children’s is the only hospital in Connecticut dedicated exclusively to the care of children and ranked one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and a Magnet® designated hospital. Connecticut Children’s provides more than 30 pediatric specialties along with community-based programs to uniquely care for the physical, social, and emotional needs of children. Our team of pediatric experts and care coordinators bring access to breakthrough research, advanced treatments for both rare and common diseases, and innovative health and safety programs to every child. Connecticut Children’s is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to improve access to healthcare for all children through convenient locations, care alliances and partnerships.