Ascension Healthcare announced that COO Patricia Maryland will take the helm when current CEO Robert Henkel resigns.
Maryland will assume responsibility for Ascension's Healthcare Division, encompassing more than 141 hospitals, and 2,500 sites of care spanning 24 states, as well as Washington D.C.
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.
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In addition to the change in leadership, Ascension is forming a new subsidiary, Ascension Consulting Network. Through this initiative, retired senior leaders from the company's national health ministry, including Henkel, may continue to contribute in various capacities.
Henkel will retire from the CEO position on July 1, 2017.
Henkel earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and a master's degree in public health from the University of Pittsburgh. In 2004, he assumed operational responsibility for all of Ascension Health, serving as president of healthcare operations and chief operating officer.
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