Gifford Health Care Names Chris Frauenhofer Chief Financial Officer

RANDOLPH, Vt. — Gifford Health Care is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Frauenhofer as its new Chief Financial Officer, bringing more than 35 years of executive leadership experience in community and rural health care organizations.

Frauenhofer has served in senior financial and operational leadership roles across New England and New York, most recently as Chief Financial Officer at Littleton Regional Healthcare in New Hampshire. Throughout his career, he has helped hospitals strengthen financial performance, improve revenue cycle operations, lead organizational turnarounds, and support long-term strategic growth.

“Chris brings exactly the kind of experience Gifford needs as we continue building a stronger, more sustainable future,” said Michael Costa, Chief Executive Officer of Gifford Health Care. “He understands the unique challenges facing rural hospitals and has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to improve financial operations while supporting high-quality patient care. We are excited to welcome him to our leadership team.”

Before joining Littleton Regional Healthcare, Frauenhofer held executive leadership positions with Northern Light Health in Maine, where he served as Vice President of Finance for both Northern Light Health Medical Group and Inland Hospital, as well as Vice President of Finance at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital. Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for several community hospitals and health systems in New York, overseeing acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health organizations, physician practices, and hospital foundations.

Across his career, Frauenhofer has led financial and operational improvements for organizations ranging from independent critical access hospitals to integrated health systems with billions of dollars in annual revenue. His expertise includes financial planning, revenue cycle management, budgeting, physician practice operations, strategic growth, performance improvement, and organizational transformation.

“I am honored to join Gifford Health Care and its dedicated team,” said Frauenhofer. “Gifford has a strong reputation for delivering exceptional care to its communities, and I look forward to working alongside the leadership team, providers, and staff to strengthen the organization’s financial future while supporting its mission of providing high-quality, compassionate care close to home.”

Frauenhofer earned a Master of Business Administration from Niagara University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

As Chief Financial Officer, Frauenhofer will oversee Gifford’s financial operations and work closely with leadership to advance the organization’s strategic priorities and ensure long-term financial sustainability in support of its mission to improve the health of the people and communities it serves.

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Gifford Health Care is a community hospital in Randolph, Vt., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, Randolph, and Rochester, and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford has earned both a 5-star Overall Hospital Quality Rating and a 5-star Patient Survey Rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — the highest recognition possible in both categories. Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department and inpatient unit, many surgical services, daycare, an adult day program, and a 30-bed nursing home. The Birthing Center, established in 1977, was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to traditional hospital-based deliveries and continues to be a leader in midwifery and family-centered care. As a community health center and medical home, Gifford’s mission is to improve and manage the health of the people we serve by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care, and by promoting the health and well-being of everyone in their service area.