Dr. John Santopietro is senior vice president of Hartford HealthCare and physician-in-chief of its Behavioral Health Network. Before coming here, he was president and medical director of Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, and chief clinical officer, behavioral health, and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Carolinas HealthCare System. He has devoted his career to improving care and the experience of care for people suffering with mental illness. He has held leadership positions in public and private systems of care and is nationally known for his work. Dr. Santopietro graduated from Yale University, Northwestern University Medical School, and completed his internship, residency and fellowship at Harvard Medical School. He is clinical associate professor of psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale Medical School, and a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He served as president of the Connecticut Psychiatric Society, earning an award for leadership during the Sandy Hook tragedy. He has been appointed to advisory boards by governors in both Connecticut and North Carolina and serves on multiple national boards including the steering committee for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Dr. Santopietro grew up in Rhode Island where he spent summers at his grandfather’s fish market learning hard work and leadership. He most enjoys spending time with his wife, Kathy, and their three sons.