Stephen W. Larcen, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Natchaug Hospital in Mansfield and vice president of behavioral health for Hartford HealthCare (HHC), has been appointed interim CEO of Windham Hospital in Willimantic, effective Aug. 22.

Larcen will retain his position at Natchaug but will physically relocate to Windham, less than three miles from Natchaug, for the six-month interim assignment. David C. Klein, Ph.D., vice president of community programs, will run Natchaug’s day-to-day operations. Larcen assumes the Windham role from Dick Brvenik, who is leaving Aug. 31 to take a position as CEO at Carteret General Hospital in Morehead City, N.C.

“In his many years with Natchaug and HHC, Steve has demonstrated excellent leadership skills and has developed a strong relationship with the local community,” said Elliot Joseph, president and CEO of HHC. “He will continue Windham’s focus on growth and physician recruitment to expand community access to high-quality health care. “That’s one of the primary goals of the Hartford HealthCare system – to provide the best possible care close to home and to coordinate the care a patient needs throughout his or her lifetime.”

Joseph said that after six months, HHC will assess the leadership structure and determine how to best meet the needs of both Windham and Natchaug hospitals, two distinct institutions that are vital parts of the continuum of care offered by HHC.

“I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity to lead a great organization like Windham Hospital,” Larcen said. “The hospital has an outstanding reputation in the community and has tremendous potential for growth. I look forward to working with the hospital’s excellent staff and to continue to strengthen the coordination of care throughout the HHC system.”

Larcen has more than 40 years experience in behavioral health and health care management. He has been president and CEO of Natchaug since 1990 and took on the role of vice president of behavioral health for HHC in 1997. Among his previous positions, he served as vice president of operations of Cumberland Health Systems in Nashville, Tenn.; CEO of Northwest Medical Center in Knoxville, Tenn.; and executive director of United Services, a mental health center, in Dayville, Conn. He also worked as an organizational consultant in mergers and affiliations, organizational development, clinical and business operations, and financial management for a wide range of health care facilities and organizations.

Larcen is a member of the management committee and former president of Behavioral Health Connecticut LLC and is active in the Connecticut Hospital Association. Among his many leadership and community activities, he was appointed by the governor to the Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council, is a corporator of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital and serves on the East Lyme Board of Finance. Larcen received the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems’ 2010 NAPHS Grassroots Leadership Award for his work in elevating the importance of grassroots advocacy within the association and taking direct, personal action to educate members of Congress about issues affecting access, coverage and fair funding for quality mental health services.

Larcen has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia and a master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Connecticut. He completed an internship in clinical and community psychology at Washington University in St. Louis and an advanced training program in community mental health administration at the Staff College of the National Institute of Mental Health in Washington, D.C.

“Steve will provide outstanding leadership and expertise to Windham Hospital, just as he does with Natchaug,” Joseph said.

About Hartford HealthCare
Hartford HealthCare (HHC) is focused on becoming the next generation of integrated health systems, marked by strong patient focus, heightened efficiency, consistent quality performance and open, collaborative sharing of best practices. The HHC system includes Hartford Hospital, MidState Medical Center; Windham Hospital; The Hospital of Central Connecticut, The Institute of Living psychiatric center; VNA HealthCare; VNA of Central Connecticut; Clinical Laboratory Partners; Hartford Medical Group; Eastern Rehabilitation Network; and two regional behavioral health centers, Rushford and Natchaug Hospital.

About Windham
Windham Hospital is a 130-bed acute care hospital serving thousands of people in northeastern Connecticut. For nearly 80 years, Windham Hospital has been renowned for its outstanding physicians and extraordinary nursing care and today offers a unique combination of talent and technology in patient care.

About Natchaug
Natchaug Hospital, founded in 1954, is the primary provider of a regional system of care for children, adolescents and adults with mental illness and substance abuse problems. The hospital's 57-bed facility in Mansfield Center, Conn., provides inpatient care for more than 650 seriously emotionally disturbed children and adolescents as well as 1,300 adults in crisis each year. Journey House, a 13-bed residential treatment center for adolescent girls, also is operated by Natchaug Hospital on its Mansfield campus. Natchaug's day hospital, after-school and special education school programs provide treatment to more than 2,750 children, adolescents and adults each year through programs in Danielson, Enfield, Groton, Mansfield, Montville, Norwich, Old Saybrook, Putnam and Vernon, Conn.