Nassau University Medical Center has named Thomas W. Stokes as its permanent president and chief executive officer. Stokes, 54, is the chief financial officer of Weill Cornell Medicine in Manhattan.
Starting in January, he will takeover managing the day-to-day operations at the safety-net hospital, based in East Meadow, the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility in Uniondale, and other community health centers and outreach operations.
His appointment comes at the end of a turbulent year for NUMC, which was taken over by New York state in May, following provisions that passed in the budget for fiscal year 2026. The changes, which took effect June 1, shifted control from County Executive Bruce Blakeman to Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Democrats.
In addition, the state granted the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a public benefit corporation, expanded oversight, including the ability to approve hospital contracts exceeding $1 million. The hospital’s public benefit corporation, the Nassau Health Care Corporation, is also required to conduct a study on strengthening NUMC by Dec. 1, 2026.
State-appointed leadership fired Meg Ryan, the former chief executive at NUMC, in June. She was replaced by Dr. Richard Becker, the interim president and chief executive of the hospital.
Stokes will assume the top office at NUMC from Becker in 2026
