Ascension St. John has named Dr. Dean D. Kindler, a vascular neurologist with decades of clinical leadership and operational experience, as its new chief clinical officer.
In his new role, Dr. Kindler will oversee clinical operations across St. John, providing strategic leadership to advance goals for clinical excellence. He will work closely with physicians, nurses and care teams to expand services, improve patient outcomes and promote St. John as a leading health care provider in northeast Oklahoma.
“Dr. Kindler brings an outstanding blend of clinical expertise and executive experience that is essential for delivering quality care to our communities,” said Ascension St. John CEO Bo Beaudry. "His collaborative leadership style and deep commitment to clinical excellence will help drive our clinical strategy and further support our focus on expanding access to care throughout northeast Oklahoma."
Dr. Kindler comes to Oklahoma from Ascension Michigan, where he served in several senior leadership roles including vice president of the Regional Medical Group, chief medical officer for the Southwest Region, and interim regional president and CEO for Southwest Michigan, before being named regional president and CEO in August 2023.
“I’m honored to join Ascension St. John and to be part of such a skilled group of clinicians,” said Dr. Kindler. “As St. John grows and our services expand, my focus will always be to foster a strong, collaborative environment that empowers our associates to deliver quality, personalized care to every patient in every setting.”
Dr. Kindler’s previous experience includes serving as senior vice president for Physician Group Operations at Atrium Health Navicent in Macon, Georgia. He also spent 14 years at Bronson Healthcare in Michigan, where he joined the clinical staff as a vascular neurologist and later held leadership roles as executive director of the neurosciences service line and chief medical officer from 2015 to 2019.
Dr. Kindler earned his undergraduate degree from Boston College, a graduate degree from the College of William & Mary and his medical degree from the University of Virginia.
