Calvary CEO Calamari to Retire

Leading with conviction and compassion, Frank Calamari tirelessly advocated for people who needed the love and tenderness of Calvary’s palliative and end-of-life care.

(Bronx, NY) – Frank Calamari, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calvary Hospital, will retire on March 10 after 36 years of devotion and service to the Calvary community, it was announced today. Calvary’s Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Christopher P. Comfort, MD, will succeed Mr. Calamari.

Mr. Calamari, who was appointed President and CEO in 1986, will continue to champion Calvary by remaining an active member of The Calvary Fund Board.

Dr. Comfort joined the Hospital as Medical Director 24 years ago and was promoted to COO in 2019. A board-certified Internist and Geriatrician, Dr. Comfort led the integration of Calvary’s hospital-based model of care in communities throughout greater New York through Calvary@Home and embedded CalvaryCare® at other institutions through partnerships with leading hospitals. He brings distinctive care, deep empathy, medical excellence, and intimate knowledge of Calvary to his new role.

Mr. Calamari started his career in 1968 as a Community Health Associate at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center. Later, with NYC Health + Hospitals Corporation, he rose to become Deputy Executive Director/ Chief Operating Officer at Jacobi Medical Center.

He led Calvary with conviction and compassion, cementing the Bronx-based institution (founded in 1899) as the leader in care for people requiring palliative and end-of-life care.

Under Mr. Calamari’s care and direction, Calvary implemented a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, established 25-bed campus at NYU Langone Brooklyn, created The Dawn Greene Hospice Unit at Mary Manning Walsh Home in Manhattan, and positioned Calvary within Ozanam Hall of Queens Nursing Home. He was also key in establishing and expanding Calvary@Home’s services throughout greater New York, the Hospital’s acclaimed Hospice and Palliative Care Services.

Mr. Calamari’s dedication to patient care was notable.

In 1999, he advocated for Calvary, educating New York lawmakers on the importance of passing and enacting the state’s End-of-Life Care Bill (S2937A), which requires insurance companies and HMOs to pay for medical treatment of terminally ill patients. The law ensures that people who otherwise would have been denied coverage for admission and treatment at Calvary receive it. It has benefitted thousands of families since. In addition, Mr. Calamari worked with members of Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to have Calvary recognized as a unique entity within the nation’s healthcare system. Under the 21st Century Cures Act (2016-16), Calvary received a new designation in Medicare as an extended neoplastic disease care hospital.

Calvary Hospital Board of Directors Chairman, John Decina, said the transition of Calvary leadership was the final step in a comprehensive succession plan that will strengthen and advance Calvary’s mission.

“Frank and Chris have done everything to ensure that the Calvary family is at the side of anyone who needs end-of-life care. They and Calvary staff, with generous support from volunteers and donors, live our mission every day, enabling Calvary to care so well for every person we have the privilege to serve,” Mr. Decina said.

About Calvary: Calvary Hospital is the world leader in providing expert medical care for people living with palliative care needs or requiring end-of-life care. The model and benchmark for hospice in America, Bronx-based Calvary provides unmatched loving, compassionate care that relieves suffering and improves the quality of life of approximately 6000 mostly terminally ill patients (and their families) annually throughout Greater New York, providing a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical interventions and support services.

Contact Mike Donahue, Director, Public Affairs
1-718-518-2246; 1-917-581-4833; mdonahue@calvaryhospital.org