Good neighbors

A conversation with Trustee Seth Alexander

Whenever Seth Alexander needs to take one of his three kids to Newton-Wellesley, it’s quicker to walk than to drive. Living on the edge of the hospital’s campus, he’s always valued having access to the best of care literally at his doorstep. Moreover, “I think the hospital has worked hard to be a good neighbor,” he adds.

After serving on its Neighborhood Council, he became one of the newest members of Newton-Wellesley’s Board of Trustees this past year.

He has a deep understanding of mission-based organizations from his longtime role as President of the MIT Investment Management Company, which manages the Institute’s endowment. Prior to joining MIT in 2006, he spent 10 years with the Yale Investments Office. His community involvements include serving on the Board of Directors of the Whitehead Institute.

An impulse to give back

While he’s very deliberate about where he commits his time, he accepted Newton-Wellesley’s invitation to serve in part because of an impulse to give back and his respect for the trustees whom he’s known.

He appreciates the different perspectives and experiences that his fellow board members bring to the table. With so many exciting possibilities ahead, he believes their collective voices can serve as a powerful resource to senior leadership.

In his early meetings, he has been impressed with the level of transparency, including the seriousness with which quality and safety are taken at the system and local level. “They’re at the heart of our board conversations.”

Our biggest strength

From Seth’s perspective, “the balance of world-class care and community focus at Newton-Wellesley is far and away our biggest strength,” he reflects. “And many other strengths flow from that.” Given its mission and vision, “we need to make certain the voice of the community is always heard,” he adds. He sees Newton-Wellesley’s leadership as invested in making that happen. The responsiveness to community needs and the commitment to seeking input has helped the hospital to leverage its strengths and have the greatest impact.

At the leading edge of medicine

For hospitals, “the enormous changes underway within the healthcare landscape create extraordinary opportunity,” Seth suggests. Newton-Wellesley’s strategic position within the Mass General Brigham system presents the opportunity to be at the leading edge of medicine.

On a personal level, being married to a primary care physician gives him a sense of the complexities involved in healthcare and the human side of the profession. His wife, Cristina Alexander, MD, works in a community health center within the MGB system. He’s seen firsthand how caregivers wholeheartedly live out the core value of putting patient firsts. Knowing the tough environment that they face, “anything I can do to support them, I want to do.”

His family’s hospital of choice

Like many area parents, he says that many of his Newton-Wellesley memories center on their children, now ages 9 to 16. In interactions through the years, he’s marveled at the staff’s ability to make every child feel safe and well cared for.

Ultimately, “it’s where my family chooses to get our care,” he notes. To him, “that says it all.”

“I wish every community had a hospital just like it,” Seth adds, breaking into smile. “That would be a wonderful world.”