As I step into the role of President & Chief Executive Officer, I want to begin with gratitude. Over the last several years, I have had the privilege of working alongside phenomenal people across this Ministry. I have seen firsthand the compassion of our care teams, the dedication of our associates, and the trust our patients place in us every day. That is what moves our Mission forward.
My own journey as an immigrant, an engineer, and a lifelong learner has shaped how I see healthcare — not as a system, but as a set of lived experiences that either remove barriers or create them.
When I joined Ascension, I focused on building a more consistent, predictable, and Mission-centered way of operating. Together with leaders and care teams across the organization, I worked to strengthen quality and safety, support our associates, improve the patient experience, and bring greater operational discipline so we can deliver better, more coordinated care. I also led changes to our portfolio to reflect community needs and expand access to care, including growing our ambulatory surgery platform through the planned acquisition of AMSURG so care is closer to home. These improvements have made us a stronger organization and allow us to reinvest directly in the communities we serve.
As CEO, my focus remains clear.
We will strengthen access to care.
Ascension is investing in the services communities rely on most, women and children’s care, behavioral health, specialty care, primary care, ambulatory surgery, imaging, and targeted expansions in the places where demand is growing.
Appropriate care should be delivered in the right setting. That means moving more care into ambulatory, post-acute, and home-based environments while ensuring seamless coordination across the network. We will continue to expand access in ways that meet people where they are.
We will continue to modernize how we deliver care.
Innovation only matters when it improves someone’s life. Our work to modernize care delivery is focused on simplifying processes, strengthening decision-making, and improving every touchpoint of the patient journey.
We now have stronger visibility into our clinical and operational performance, supported by an enhanced data foundation. This allows us to streamline workflows, reduce friction, and elevate the care experience for patients and families.
Modernization will come from both emerging solutions and the core platforms we rely on every day. We will use both to scale improvements consistently across our system.
We will deepen our commitment to those most in need.
Serving those who are vulnerable has always been at the center of our Mission. That will not change.
Too many individuals and families experience healthcare as confusing, fragmented, or out of reach. When people delay care out of fear — of cost, complexity, or access — the system is not working as it should. We have a responsibility to do better.
Communities are facing new social, economic, and policy pressures. We are taking a fresh, comprehensive approach to expanding access, improving prevention, strengthening medication adherence, and reducing avoidable emergency department use. Our focus is on helping people remain healthy, supported, and connected to the right care at the right time.
Our work must continue to extend beyond the walls of our facilities. We will advocate for policies that strengthen access to high-quality, affordable care for all.
We will lead through Mission-driven strategy, capital deployment, and talent.
A mentor once told me that a leader’s role is defined by three things: strategy, capital deployment, and talent. In Catholic healthcare, Mission sits at the center of all three.
These four pillars — supported by a strong and predictable operating model — will guide how we continue to grow, evolve, and serve.
Looking ahead.
I step into this role with optimism and humility. We are a stronger organization today because of the dedication of our people and the trust of the communities we serve. But we also know healthcare is changing rapidly. If you get comfortable, you get disrupted, but if you challenge the status quo and disrupt yourself, you lead.
We will keep learning. We will keep improving. And we will keep putting people first.
Thank you to our associates for your commitment to delivering health, healing and hope to all. The future of Ascension is bright because of you, and I look forward to the work we will continue to do together.
With gratitude,
Eduardo
