The chief operating officer at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital has resigned after just five months on the job, hospital chief executive officer Denise Schepci confirmed this week.

Bernadette Thomas was hired as COO, a new position, in August. She was formerly chief operating officer at the Lynn Community Health Center.

Ms. Thomas’s husband Kevin Irwin was also hired to work as the director of community program development for the hospital, a part-time job.

He has also resigned his post, Ms. Schepici said.

Ms. Schepici, who took the job in January 2018, said she created the COO position after the director of physician services Jay Ferriter retired last year, all part of her pledge to create more engagement between the hospital and the Island community.

“I added a few more responsibilities, trying to be more outward facing with the community,” she said.

But now she said that while she does plan to fill the job held by Mr. Irwin, she may not fill the COO position.

“I have a really strong bench here and as the year has gone by, I’ve gotten to know everyone better and I have people really wanting to step up,” Ms. Schepici said. “I’ve got to think whether I will refill the COO position . . . it’s taken me awhile to get to know people, but we have a strong team and we’re regrouping.”

She said she plans to focus her immediate efforts on the hospital development director and a strategic planning person.

“That will help with the outward facing part with the community,” she said, adding: “I don’t find this as a setback at all I think it puts me more in touch rather than less in touch.”

Meanwhile, she said Ms. Thomas’s last day was Tuesday.

“I want to thank her for the time she spent with us and wish her well,” Ms. Schepici said. “She’s a very talented, smart woman.”