Karen Springer serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive for Ascension. In this role, Ms. Springer has responsibility to provide guidance and resources throughout Ascension focused on core nursing responsibilities. She is responsible for Nursing and Clinical Operations, Nursing Strategic Care Transformation, the Nursing Center of Excellence, Clinical Surveillance, and oversight of clinical and regulatory programs.
Ms. Springer had served as Executive Vice President, Healthcare Operations, with accountability for Ascension’s Ministry Markets, delivering solutions to improve operating performance and achieve operating excellence for all ministries within the Ministry Markets, and the successful execution of strategic operating priorities, as well as management oversight of Enterprise Excellence, which includes Performance Excellence and the Project Management Office.
Prior to this role, Ms. Springer served as Senior Vice President, Ascension Healthcare, and Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Tennessee. She joined Ascension in 2011 to serve as President and Chief Operating Officer of Saint Thomas Health in Nashville, with responsibility for operational success and effectiveness of Saint Thomas Health hospital facilities, physician practices and numerous joint ventures. Under Ms. Springer’s direction and leadership, innovation and organizational effectiveness flourished.
Before joining Saint Thomas Health, she honed her leadership skills at the Lutheran Hospital System in Fort Wayne, Indiana, serving first as Director for Cardiovascular and Medical/Surgical ICUs. She went on to become Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at Lutheran Hospital of Indiana.
Ms. Springer also served as Chief Executive Officer for Mountain View Medical Center in Las Cruces, NM. She held the position as Chief Nursing Officer for the Rehabilitation Hospital in Fort Wayne with direct responsibility for hospital operations and for multiple patient care departments. Prior to that, Ms. Springer served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer for Dupont Hospital, where she oversaw the construction of a $52 million facility.
Ms. Springer received her Associate of Science degree in Nursing from Germanna College in Virginia and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. She completed her Master of Science degree in Nursing Administration at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. She is a graduate of the Ascension Leadership Academy and was a member of community 10 of the Ascension Executive Ministry Leadership formation program.
Current role