Saint Francis Hospital Hosts Women Physician’s Networking Event
The event gathered providers in celebrating the groundbreaking contributions and achievements of women in medicine.
HARTFORD, Conn. (March 12, 2025) – Saint Francis Hospital hosted a Women Physician’s networking Event on March 10 at the Mandell JCC of Greater Hartford. The event, planned to honor National Women Physician’s Day on February 3, was rescheduled from an earlier date due to weather. Around 50 physicians and providers from around the region gathered for networking and camaraderie.
National Women Physicians Day honors and celebrates the groundbreaking contributions and achievements of women in medicine, highlighting their resilience, innovation and impact on patient care. The day was founded in celebration of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States in 1849. A pioneering physician, influential writer and medical professor, Dr. Blackwell is regarded as a trailblazer, not just for earning her medical degree, but also for advocating for medical education for women.
Attendees at the Women Physician’s Networking Event were welcomed by Valerie Powell-Stafford, MHSA, FACHE, President of Saint Francis and Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital, who thanked the physicians in attendance for the role they play in delivering Mission-based care to the community. Powell-Stafford also introduced Kelly Tyler, MD, Chair of Surgery at Saint Francis, who recently became the first woman to be named to the position.
Jennifer Perri, MD, cardiac surgeon at Saint Francis, was the event’s keynote speaker. Dr. Perri recently led the launch of a robotic coronary artery bypass (CABG) program at Saint Francis, offering patients a minimally invasive alternative to traditional bypass surgery. Dr. Perri is currently the only surgeon in Hartford County and one of only two in Connecticut performing robotic coronary bypass surgery, further strengthening the hospital’s leadership in robotic innovation.
About Saint Francis Hospital
Saint Francis Hospital has been an anchor institution in Connecticut since 1897. Saint Francis is a member of Trinity Health Of New England and Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Saint Francis Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center, is a 617-bed hospital, a major teaching hospital, and the largest Catholic hospital in New England. Other Saint Francis entities include the Comprehensive Women’s Health Center, the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute, the Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute of Connecticut, the Smilow Cancer Hospital Yale-New Haven at Saint Francis, Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group, and Community Health and Well Being, which includes the Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity, the Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry, and the Greater Hartford Family Advocacy Center. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X @SaintFrancisCT