Three Acton Residents Elected as Emerson Hospital Corporators

Acton residents Melissa H. Cruz, Patricia (Patty) M. Higgins and Francis (Fran) N. Mastroianni are among 26 members of local communities who were recently elected to a three-year term as a Corporator of Emerson Hospital.

“Emerson relies on its Corporators to be informed ambassadors for the hospital and to assist in our outreach efforts to the community,” said Ron Johnson, chairman of the Emerson Hospital Board of Directors. “Corporators are true strategic partners of the organization. We are grateful that all of these individuals have stepped up to support Emerson in this important way.”  

Corporators represent the interests of the 25 communities served by Emerson. They become knowledgeable about the hospital’s mission and the services it provides by attending regular breakfast briefings, annual meetings and other activities. In turn, they communicate information about the hospital's programs and services to the residents and businesses in their hometowns. They also elect the hospital’s Board of Directors and Corporators at the hospital’s annual meeting.  

Cruz retired after 25 years in technology and health care IT companies. She currently serves on the board of N-of-One, which is focused on clinical interpretation of next-generation DNA sequencing data to provide therapeutic options for physicians treating cancer patients. A member of the Emerson Hospital Board of Directors, Cruz is the treasurer of both the Emerson Hospital Auxiliary and the Acton Community Supper and Food Pantry.

Higgins is a licensed clinical social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in Chelmsford. She has volunteered for many years in Acton, including the Acton-Boxborough Friends of Music and Project Graduation, and she is currently a board member with the Acton-Boxborough United Way.

Mastroianni is a partner in Trilogy Law LLC in Boston, specializing in complex commercial real estate matters across the nation. He is president of the nonprofit Charitable Friends of Digamma Building, Inc., whose mission is to preserve historic and architecturally significant buildings in the Harvard Square area. Mastroianni is an alternate member of the Acton Zoning Board of Appeals.

“While we rely on our Corporators to act as ambassadors for the hospital, we hope that members of our community also engage directly with them to connect to Emerson,” added Christine Schuster, president and CEO of Emerson. “We thank them for making such a significant commitment to Emerson’s future.”