(St. Louis) January 23, 2012 – Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit healthcare system, announced today the organization’s new leadership.
This leadership announcement follows the appointment of Robert J. Henkel, FACHE, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Ascension Health January 1.
“A priority has been to identify the new Ascension Health Leadership,” said Henkel. “The experience of these individuals and their commitment to the future of Ascension Health will continue to strengthen our national health ministry and support our Mission of providing care to all with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable.”
The Ascension Health leadership:
Charles J. Barnett, FACHE, has been named President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer. He previously served as Texas/Missouri Ministry Market Leader with Ascension Health and has taken a leave of absence from his duties as President and CEO of Seton Healthcare Family in Austin, Texas, to accept this new role. In addition to overseeing operations at all Health Ministries and Ascension Health’s Ministry Market Leaders, Barnett will have responsibility for Ascension Health’s enterprise resource planning, IT, facilities, and supply chain functions.
Barnett is a nationally-known healthcare leader with extensive executive experience. Prior to joining Seton Healthcare Family in 1993, he served as Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Va. He previously held executive positions at hospital systems in Illinois and Michigan.
Barnett is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati, in Ohio, and a Master of Hospital Administration from Xavier University, also in Cincinnati.
Eric S. Engler becomes Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning & Development. Engler has responsibility for the development, implementation and management of Ascension Health’s overall System strategy, as well as the exploration and development of new opportunities across the continuum of care.
Prior to joining Ascension Health in 2001, Engler served as the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for Reuters, PLC, and Bridge Information Systems, Inc., both providers of financial market data services. He has also served as a Transaction Services Director for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, leading merger and acquisition transactions for large public companies and private equity funds.
Engler is a Certified Public Accountant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business.
Ziad Haydar, MD, MBA, becomes Ascension Health’s Chief Medical Officer. Haydar will lead the organization’s Clinical Excellence initiatives, including collaboration with physician, nursing and executive leaders across Ascension Health, to build on the organization’s nationally recognized patient safety initiatives.
Haydar joined Ascension Health in 2010 as Vice President, Clinical Excellence and Physician Integration. In addition to his role in supporting Ascension Health’s high reliability journey, he has facilitated the strategic vision in the area of population health and has supported the organization’s shared learning in the areas of practice management as well as other aspects of the physician enterprise.
He previously was an executive with Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, Texas, where he served as the Vice President for Health Care Improvement and Director of the Center for Health Care Improvement.
He received his MD degree from American University of Beirut, trained in Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, and completed a fellowship in Geriatrics and Gerontology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As an executive, Haydar obtained a Master’s in Business Administration from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.
Christine Kocot McCoy, JD, becomes Senior Vice President, Legal Services and Ascension Health’s General Counsel. In addition to providing legal counsel to Ascension Health, the Board of Trustees and executive management, McCoy will continue her current responsibilities leading the organization’s Risk Management function.
Prior to joining Ascension Health as Director, Claims Counsel in 2004, McCoy was a Partner at Armstrong Teasdale, LLP, serving in its Litigation Practice Group. She had previously served as an Assistant Attorney General acting as Associate General Counsel for the Missouri Department of Labor, Division of Labor Standards.
McCoy received a bachelor’s degree in business from Eastern Illinois University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Saint Louis University School of Law.
Juli Shields, JD, is Ascension Health’s Chief Compliance Officer. In addition to this new role, Shields will continue as Vice President, Legal Services & Associate General Counsel. Shields is responsible for overseeing Ascension Health’s compliance programs.
Prior to joining Ascension Health in 2006, Shields was an Attorney/Shareholder with Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman, P.C., in Indianapolis, Ind., one of the largest healthcare law firms in the nation.
Shields received a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, and holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies and history, cum laude, from Franklin College of Indiana, Franklin.
Challis Lowe continues as Senior Vice President, Organizational Development and Human Resources. Lowe is responsible for the continued development of human resource and organizational development capabilities across the Ascension Health including work that supports the strategic direction.
Prior to joining Ascension Health in 2009, she served as Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Dollar General Corp., a $10 billion discount retailer with more than 8,300 locations and more than 70,000 employees.
Lowe holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and has served on the Board and as Treasurer of The Executive Leadership Council and as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Florida A&M University.
Stephen D. LeResche continues as Vice President Communications, leading development and implementation of communications and marketing strategies for Ascension Health. He also oversees corporate meetings and travel.
Prior to joining Ascension Health in 2003, LeResche served as Vice President-Public Communications for Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., an $18 billion diversified global corporation headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. He has also served as a Senior Vice President for Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., one of the largest global public relations and communications services providers.
LeResche attended Davidson College in Davidson, N.C., and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri – Columbia.
Sister Maureen McGuire, DC, continues as Senior Vice President, Mission Integration. She also serves as Executive Vice President, Mission Integration for Ascension Health Alliance, Ascension Health’s parent organization. She provides leadership in creating strategy and initiatives in the areas of Mission and Values integration, workplace spirituality, ethics, leadership formation and spiritual care.
Prior to joining the senior leadership team of Ascension Health in 2002, Sister Maureen served as Vice President, Service Culture Development for the Catholic Health System (CHS) of Western New York in Buffalo, and as Vice President, Mission Integration for both Sisters of Charity Hospital, Buffalo, New York and Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center in Lewiston, N.Y.
Sister Maureen earned her bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg, Md., and received her master's of social work from Temple University in Philadelphia.
