Ascension announced that Patricia Maryland, Dr.PH, will become Executive Vice President and President and CEO of Ascension Healthcare, effective July 1, 2017. The change will take effect following the retirement of Robert J. Henkel, FACHE on June 30, 2017. Dr. Maryland will have responsibility for the strategic and operational aspects of Ascension Healthcare, with more than 141 hospitals and 2,500 sites of care in 24 states and Washington, D.C. She will report directly to Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ascension.
“We are blessed to have a leader of the caliber and strength of Pat Maryland in Ascension to take on the additional responsibilities of leading our Ascension Healthcare,” said Tersigni. I can think of no better way to ensure a seamless transition that will support the continued success of our work in support of our Mission.”
Dr. Maryland is a regular contributor to the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the country’s largest association of minority-owned community newspapers. During the past year, she published op-eds covering a variety of nationally recognized issues such as diabetes prevention and treatment, opioid addiction, advancing minority involvement in healthcare, mental health, veterans’ health and access to clean water.
Dr. Maryland has served as President, Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Ascension Healthcare since 2013. She previously served as the Michigan Ministry Market Leader for Ascension and the President and Chief Executive Officer of St. John Providence Health System, Warren, Michigan, where she provided strategic and operational leadership for St. John Providence while promoting alignment among health ministries within Ascension Michigan and the System Office on issues related to Mission and Vision.
Prior to that role, Dr. Maryland served as President, St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, and also as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for St. Vincent Health. In this dual role she oversaw operations for St. Vincent Hospitals and Health Services, the flagship tertiary hospital of the St. Vincent system.
Dr. Maryland has extensive experience in strategic planning, patient care operations, service line management, finance, clinical program development and evaluation. Before joining St. Vincent Health, she served as President of Sinai-Grace Hospital and Senior Vice President of Detroit Medical Center. She also served as Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at North Oakland Medical Centers, Pontiac, Michigan, and worked for 15 years at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Dr. Maryland received a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Alabama State University, Montgomery, and a master’s degree in biostatistics from the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a Doctorate of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh, concentrating in health services administration and planning.
While at St. Vincent, Dr. Maryland served as Chair of the Citizens’ Health Care Working Group, a group mandated by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, National Association of Health Services Executives and the Medical Group Management Association.
Dr. Maryland was named one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare in 2016 and 2015 by the publication Modern Healthcare, Woman of the Year in 2014 by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, and one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare that same year. In 2006 she was given the top healthcare executive award by the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, and in 2003 she received the Leadership in Healthcare Award from the Detroit Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the 2003 Woman of the Year Award from the Beta Omicron Zeta Chapter for outstanding accomplishments in improving and providing quality healthcare. Earlier, the Cleveland Clinic honored her with a Women of Professional Excellence award.