Veteran healthcare executives to lead operations integration and development

Ardent Health Services today announced the appointment of Carlene Callis as chief system integration and growth officer and Ben Jacobs as chief strategy and development officer.

“I’m excited to welcome Carlene and Ben to Ardent,” said Marty Bonick, president and CEO of Ardent. “As the dynamics of our industry continue to evolve, we need to proactively take the lead in architecting our own future. The addition of two high-performing, proven leaders in these new roles will help us focus on efficiently improving care delivery and expanding accessibility of services to the communities we serve.”

In her role as chief system integration and growth officer, Callis will cross-functionally evaluate all aspects of the organization to create value, leverage scale and better prepare Ardent for the continuing evolution of healthcare delivery. Specifically, she will be responsible for leading key enterprise-wide, growth-enabling functions and identifying and developing processes and “systemness” across Ardent’s more than 200 sites of care. With more than 25 years of healthcare experience, Callis has worked as a consultant and health system executive. She joins Ardent following her time at HCA where she served as corporate vice president with responsibility for market growth and development as well as operations of key service lines across the enterprise. Callis holds a bachelor’s degree and a masters in healthcare administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

“Ardent has become well known for its quality of care and operations excellence as it has grown into new markets,” said Callis. “I look forward to working with our leaders and team members to continue enhancing efficiencies, accelerating performance and preparing the organization to better meet the evolving needs of patients and clinicians.”

As chief strategy and development officer, Jacobs will oversee development across Ardent’s current markets as well as the organization’s entry into new regions and services. He will also be responsible for the company’s strategic planning and implementation initiatives, including all hospital and non-hospital transactions. Jacobs brings nearly two decades of strategic development experience in healthcare, including serving as chief strategy and development officer at physical therapy provider Athletico, where he led market expansion for new clinics across the U.S., and chief development officer at Surgery Partners, a national ambulatory surgical center operator. Jacobs is a graduate of Washington and Lee University and holds a JD from Tulane University. As an attorney, he also maintains memberships with the state bar in Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee.

“Ardent has built a strong track record of growing and improving access to healthcare services in each of its markets to meet the needs of the communities it serves,” said Jacobs. “I’m excited to join a team that is committed to transformation and reaching patients in new and innovative ways.”

About Ardent Health Services

Ardent Health Services invests in people, technology and communities. Through its subsidiaries, Ardent owns and operates 30 hospitals and more than 200 sites of care in six states with more than 24,000 employees, including 1,200+ employed providers. With a focus on evidence-based practices to improve quality care and patient outcomes, four Ardent hospitals were named to Leapfrog’s Top Hospitals in 2021 and eight Ardent hospitals received a Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade of A for Spring 2022. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Ardent is owned by current and former members of Ardent’s management team; Equity Group Investments (EGI), a Chicago-based private investment firm; and Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR), a publicly traded real estate investment trust.

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