Ardent Health names COO | Healthcare Dive

Name: Dave Caspers

Previous title: Chief stores officer, Leslie’s

New title: Chief operating officer, Ardent Health

Ardent Health named Caspers as its chief operating officer on Monday, filling a longtime vacancy in the provider’s executive team, a spokesperson told Healthcare Dive on Tuesday.

The executive will be in charge of strategic growth initiatives across Ardent’s portfolio, which includes 30 hospitals and 280 care sites across six states, according to a press release. Caspers will also oversee efforts to scale Ardent’s operating model and deliver services to new markets.

Caspers joins Ardent from the retail world, where he most recently served as chief stores officer for Leslie’s, a pool company.

The executive has also served as vice president of omnichannel operations at Walmart Health. In that role, Caspers oversaw in-store clinics and virtual health services for the defunct business. Walmart Health shut down last year, after the retailer failed to make the venture profitable.

Caspers has also held leadership roles at 30-hospital system Banner Health and the Target Corporation.

The health system also promoted three executives to new roles on Monday.

Ardent’s chief digital and information officer Anika Gardenhire will now operate as Ardent’s chief digital and transformation officer — a title change that Ardent says reflects the “evolving” scope of her work to include supporting business transformation initiatives. Gardenhire will lead the company’s technology, consumer services and enterprise project management teams, according to the release.

Rebecca Kirkham stepped into the role of senior vice president and chief communications and corporate affairs officer. Previously, Kirkham held the title of vice president and chief communications officer, according to her LinkedIn profile. Now, Kirkham will lead communications initiatives, “reputation and issues management” concerns and culture-building projects. 

Finally, Reed Smith, who served as vice president and chief consumer officer, has been promoted to a senior vice president role. He will continue to lead consumer experience and engagement projects and report to Gardenhire.