PRESIDENTS/CEOs
St. Louis-based Ascension and its affiliates have made these announcements: Andy Wachtel to chief executive of three hospitals within Nashville, Tenn.-based Saint Thomas Health, effective Oct. 10. He most recently was chief executive of Alliance Health of Ponca City, Okla. The three hospitals he now heads are Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital, Smithville, Tenn.; Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital of Sparta, Tenn.; and Saint Thomas Stones River Hospital of Woodbury, Tenn. Dr. Mike Schatzlein will step down as senior vice president, Ascension Healthcare; group ministry market executive with oversight responsibility for Ascension's Indiana and Tennessee markets; and president and chief executive of Ascension's St. Vincent's HealthCare in Jacksonville, Fla. The change is effective Dec. 31.
Steve Burdick, chief executive of Providence St. Mary Medical Center of Walla Walla, Wash., and Providence Medical Group – Walla Walla, will retire at the end of the year. His position will not be replaced. Other facility executives will expand their duties to take over his day-to-day operational responsibilities; and Lane Savitch, chief executive at Kadlec Health System in Richland, Wash., will expand his role to include oversight of the Walla Walla facilities.