(JACKSONVILLE) February 16, 2010 – Moody L. Chisholm, Jr., has been named President and CEO for St. Vincent’s HealthCare in Jacksonville, Fla., effective April 5, 2010.  Moody replaces interim President and CEO, Howard Watts, who will remain with the organization during the transition.

"Moody brings more than 27 years of healthcare experience to our ministry,” said Pat Thornton, Board Chair, St. Vincent’s Healthcare. “Throughout his healthcare career he has shown a strong commitment to developing and providing quality health services. That kind of commitment will serve him well in his role as President and CEO of St. Vincent’s HealthCare and it will be taken to the next level with the added component of faith-based care."

"We used a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary search committee to find the right person for President and CEO of St. Vincent’s HealthCare,” said Laura S. Kaiser, FACHE, Ministry Market Leader Gulf Coast/North Florida for Ascension Health. Moody's extensive experience, style and talent are a terrific fit for our ministry and the Jacksonville community."

As President and CEO of St. Vincent’s HealthCare, Chisholm will be responsible for the strategic leadership and direction of the system; quality and patient safety initiatives in partnership with physicians; the delivery of compassionate and comprehensive services, especially for those who are poor and underserved; and the stewardship of resources in order to ensure the continued achievement of the system’s mission and vision.

Most recently, Chisholm served as CEO of Manatee Healthcare System and Vice President of the Acute Care Division of Universal Health Services.  He holds a Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University, a Bachelor of Administration, Health Care Management, and a Bachelor of Science, Economics, from Appalachian State University. Chisholm is well known in the healthcare field and has received numerous recognitions including “25 People to Watch” by SRQ Magazine and “Top Turnaround” by Tampa Bay Business Journal in 2007, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Man of the Year in 2004, and he was the recipient of the 2002 Texas Tech University “Louise Evans Award for Educational Support.”  Chisholm is very active in the community serving on multiple boards and committees and chairing the American Heart Association 2009 Heart Walk.

"I am thrilled to join St. Vincent’s HealthCare and Ascension Health,” said Chisholm.  “This is truly a blessing that brings exciting opportunities to lead a system of hospitals with a long and rich history of service to the Jacksonville community.  As President and CEO of St. Vincent’s HealthCare I will be able to blend my passion for service to patients, physicians, volunteers and employees with my faith.  My wife and I have two small children, and we are excited to raise our children in a community where we can both invest our time and gifts in service to programs and causes important to the region, our hospitals, and those in need."

St. Vincent's HealthCare includes: St. Vincent's Medical Center, St. Luke’s Hospital, St. Catherine Labouré Manor, Consolidated Laboratories, St. Vincent's HealthCare Foundation, Advanced Patient Transportation, Seton Pharmacies, Consolidated Pharmacies, and First Coast Primary Care. St. Vincent's  HealthCare was founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1916 to provide health services to the sick and poor of North Florida.  St. Vincent's HealthCare is a member of Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system. 

Ascension Health (www.ascensionhealth.org) is transforming healthcare by providing the highest quality care to all, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable.  Ascension Health, which provided $868 million in care of persons who are poor and community benefit last year, is the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system.  Our Mission-focused Health Ministries consist of 113,000 associates serving in more than 500 locations in 19 states and the District of Columbia.