Following an extensive national search, longtime healthcare executive Ed Lovern, MHA, FACHE, has been selected to serve as Health System President and CEO of Ascension Saint Agnes in Baltimore, effective July 20. Ed is a transformational leader with more than 25 years of experience in executive roles with successful healthcare systems.
Ed currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, flagship hospital of Piedmont Healthcare, an 11-hospital integrated healthcare system with more than 20,000 employees and annual net revenues of $3.1 billion. Piedmont Atlanta is a 643-bed tertiary hospital in a competitive urban market with annual net revenues of $1 billion.
Prior to his time at Piedmont, Ed was the Washington, D.C., Bureau Chief for Modern Healthcare magazine. Earlier in his career, he served in several leadership positions at Ascension Borgess in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Ed earned a Master of Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business/Economics from Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia. He has served on the boards of several community and non-for-profit organizations, including as Board Chair for Odyssey Family Counseling Center in College Park, Georgia, and Board member for Jewish Home Life in Atlanta and Rotary Club of Buckhead in the Atlanta metro.
“I am especially grateful for the leadership of the interim president of Ascension Saint Agnes, Chris Chekouras, and want to recognize the achievements of our Baltimore ministry over the past year,” said Craig Cordola, MBA, MHA, FACHE, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Ascension. “The efforts of our Ascension Saint Agnes caregivers in treating stroke patients again garnered national recognition in 2019 by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The hospital is also playing an important role in plans by Baltimore County to accelerate its response to the opioid epidemic. In addition, Ascension Saint Agnes is working collaboratively with the city, community and local hospitals to address homelessness for vulnerable individuals and families. We wish Chris continued blessings as he leaves our ministry.”
This search process was a collaboration among the Ascension Saint Agnes Board, the medical staff, and the leadership team who led this search process under the guidance of former Ascension Saint Agnes Board Chair Irene Knott, whose term ended June 30. “We are excited to have Ed join our ministry and know that his deep experience and commitment to our Mission, in partnership with Ascension Saint Agnes associates, caregivers and providers, will serve the community well as we provide care for those most in need,” said John Wheeler, Board Chair, Ascension Saint Agnes.
