Gardner, MA - [June 27, 2024] - On Thursday, June 27th, Heywood Healthcare held the dedication of the Ronald LaDeau Plant Operations Center, in honor and recognition of Ronald "Ronnie" LaDeau's 54 years of outstanding service and distinguished commitment.
Before joining Heywood Hospital, Ronnie served four years in the United States Coast Guard, including a year in Vietnam, demonstrating his dedication and service to our country. Ronnie's commitment to continuous learning led him to attend night school, where he earned his second-class stationary engineer's license. He joined Heywood Hospital on May 5, 1970, and his talent and hard work were soon recognized with a promotion to Chief Engineer and Plant Manager in October 1990.
Ronnie has played a key role in every installation, maintenance procedure, and upgrade of plant maintenance equipment since 1990. He has been a mentor, educator, and role model for every member of the facilities and plant maintenance staff. Despite his immense contributions, in 2014, Ronnie transitioned to Per Diem status, gradually easing into retirement while remaining available to provide frequent support to the hospital.
Ronnie’s unwavering commitment and unparalleled contributions to Heywood Healthcare have left a lasting legacy. We are honored to celebrate not just his professional achievements but also the integrity, humility, and dedication he has shown throughout his career.
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About Heywood Healthcare
Heywood Healthcare is an independent, community-owned healthcare system serving north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire,comprised of Heywood Hospital, a 134-bed acute care community-owned non-profit hospital in Gardner, MA; Athol Hospital, a 25-bed not-for-profit, Critical Access Hospital in Athol, MA; and Heywood Medical Group, with primary care physicians and specialists located throughout the region.
The organization includes eight satellite facilities in MA: Ashburnham Family Medicine in Ashburnham, Heywood Rehabilitation Center, Summit Family Medicine & Heywood Primary Care, The Winchendon Health Center & Murdock School-based Health Center in Winchendon, Tully Family Medicine and Walk-In Care and ACES Athol Community Elementary School Based Health Center in Athol. The organization also includes the Heywood Healthcare Charitable Foundation. For more information, visit www.heywood.org.