Ascension has named Patricia Maryland as CEO of its giant healthcare division, replacing Bob Henkel, who is retiring in June.
As chief operating officer, Maryland had been Henkel's right-hand executive since 2013, Ascension CEO Anthony Tersigni said. In her new role, Maryland will oversee 141 hospitals and 2,500 ambulatory clinics across 24 states. Catholic-sponsored Ascension is the nation's largest not-for-profit hospital company with fiscal 2016 revenue of $21.9 billion.
St. Louis-based Ascension also has recruited DePaul University President Rev. Dennis Holtschneider as an executive vice president with responsibility for the Ascension Solutions Division subsidiaries of Ascension Information Services and the Ascension Ministry Service Center, as well as Ascension's national strategy and advocacy functions. Henkel has agreed to participate after retirement in a newly formed subsidiary known as the Ascension Consulting Network, which will provide retired senior leaders with opportunities to serve in other Catholic healthcare ministries.
Henkel has been with Ascension since the system was formed through the 1999 merger of the Daughters of Charity National Health System and the Sisters of St. Joseph Health System. Henkel was president of the Daughters of Charity system for a year before the merger was completed.
Maryland previously led Ascension's large hospital operation in Detroit under the St. John Providence brand and was president of St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital. She has appeared on Modern Healthcare's biennial lists of the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare and the Top 25 Women in Healthcare.
—Dave Barkholz
