Ascension, one of the nation’s largest non-profit and Catholic health systems, today announced that Richard Fogel, MD, FACC, FHRS, Ascension Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Clinical Officer (CCO), will transition to the new role of Chief Health Outcomes Officer on January 1, 2025, before retiring on June 30, 2025. In this new role, Dr. Fogel will engage with our associates and the community to share Ascension’s journey to achieving outstanding clinical quality and safety outcomes.
Ascension Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Thomas Aloia, MD, MHCM, FACS, FACHE, will be promoted to EVP and CCO. A national search for a system CMO will launch as this transition is initiated.
“I am grateful for Dr. Fogel's incredible legacy at Ascension spanning both clinical practice and leadership,” said Joseph Impicciche, JD, MHA, Chief Executive Officer of Ascension. “His inspiring leadership, tireless commitment and humble service have made Ascension a better place to give and receive care. I thank and congratulate Dr. Fogel and wish him continued success in his new role before retiring to focus on his family. I am also grateful to have a talented and highly qualified leader in Dr. Aloia to continue our commitment to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable.
“Throughout my time at Ascension, I have been committed to putting patient care and safety at the center of all my work and I look forward to continuing to do so as I transition to this new and exciting opportunity," said Richard Fogel, MD, FACC, FHRS, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer. “As I enter the next chapter of my career, I do so with the same commitment to create a safer and healthier world, as has been my focus for so many years with this incredible organization.”
"I am grateful for this opportunity to continue the important work of meeting the needs of our communities and the vulnerable populations we serve," said Thomas Aloia, MD, MHCM, FACS, FACHE. "In this new role, I will remain committed to ensuring a culture that elevates safety and quality while being a catalyst for growth through innovation and an advocate for value based care. Working closely with Dr. Fogel has been an honor and privilege and I look forward to building on his legacy."
Dr. Fogel significantly influenced heart care in Indianapolis, spending 11 years on the Board of Managers of The Care Group, one of the country’s largest private cardiology practices. In 2001, he became the first Board Chair of the then-newly established St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana. In 2008, he became CEO and Managing Partner of The Care Group LLC until its acquisition by St. Vincent Health in 2010. He was CEO of St. Vincent Medical Group until 2015, then was named CCO for Ascension Indiana.
Since 2019, as Executive Vice President and Ascension CCO, Dr. Fogel has prioritized enhancing clinical performance and advancing quality and safety. This includes launching the "We’ve Got Your Back" campaign, creating the Ascension clinical service line structure and developing a national clinical research infrastructure. He also led Ascension's COVID-19 clinical response, working with ministry leaders to create numerous protocols and processes.
Dr. Aloia joined Ascension in 2021 after previously serving as Professor of Surgical Oncology and Chief Value and Quality Officer at MD Anderson Cancer Center, focusing on patient safety, quality and outcomes. Prior to being named SVP, CMO, and lead of our employed clinician network, he was Ascension’s Vice President and Director of Clinical Service Lines.
A trained hepatobiliary surgical oncologist, Dr. Aloia’s research and clinical care advanced the fields of primary and secondary hepatobiliary malignancies, surgical quality improvement and enhanced surgical recovery.
