(St. Louis) September 10, 2014 – Rhonda Anderson has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Ascension Health, the healthcare delivery subsidiary of Ascension. Anderson will assume her new role October 13.
Anderson currently serves as President of the Business Development Division and Chief Financial Officer of Columbia St. Mary’s in Milwaukee, a Health Ministry of Ascension Health.
In her new role, Anderson will be part of Ascension’s Finance team, working closely with executive leadership and Chief Financial Officers across the national health ministry.
“I’m excited to welcome Rhonda to her new role at Ascension Health,” said Robert J. Henkel, FACHE, Executive Vice President, Ascension, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension Health. “Rhonda’s extensive background in healthcare finance, along with her passion for our Mission of serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable, make her an ideal choice as we adapt to the changing healthcare environment and transform into a truly integrated national ministry.”
“Rhonda brings exceptional talent and experience to her new position,” said Anthony J. Speranzo, Chief Financial Officer, Ascension. “That experience will be a tremendous asset to our ministry and the Finance function as our nation transitions from a healthcare financing system that pays for services and procedures to one that pays for helping people heal and keeping them well.”
“As the nation’s healthcare system rapidly evolves, Ascension Health – like all healthcare providers – is dealing with new challenges as well as additional opportunities to better serve individuals in all our communities,” Anderson said. “I’m looking forward to working more closely with my colleagues in St. Louis and across our national health ministry to strengthen our ability to be true to our Mission.”
Anderson will replace Katherine Arbuckle, who announced in June that she planned to leave her role as Ascension Health Senior Vice President and CFO in the fall.
Anderson joined Columbia St. Mary’s in 2009 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and added the role of President for Business Development in 2010. Previously she spent 20 years at Saint Agnes HealthCare in Baltimore in increasingly responsible financial management roles, culminating as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola College in Baltimore and a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from Bethany College in West Virginia.
About Ascension
Ascension (www.ascension.org) is a Catholic healthcare organization dedicated to the transformation of healthcare through excellent clinical care throughout the continuum of care and through innovation. Ascension is the nation’s largest Catholic and non-profit health system, providing the highest quality care to all with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Last year, Ascension provided $1.5 billion in care of persons living in poverty and community benefit programs. Its Mission-focused Health Ministries employ more than 150,000 associates serving in more than 1,900 sites of care in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Ascension’s direct subsidiaries provide services that include healthcare delivery, medical equipment management, treasury management, resource and supply management, venture capital investing, physician practice management, and risk management.
