Ascension Health: Charles J. Barnett, President and Chief Executive Officer, Seton Family of Hospitals, Austin, Texas, Ascension Health Texas Ministry Market Leader

Charles J. Barnett, Ascension Health Texas Ministry Market Leader, President and Chief Executive Officer, Seton Family of Hospitals, Austin, Texas

Charles J. Barnett
Ascension Health Texas Ministry Market Leader
President and Chief Executive Officer, Seton Family of Hospitals, Austin, Texas

Charles J. Barnett is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Seton Family of Hospitals in Austin, Texas, and serves as the Texas Ministry Market Leader for Ascension Health. He provides strategic and operational leadership for Seton while promoting alignment among Health Ministries within the Texas market and with the System Office on issues related to Mission and Vision. In addition, Mr. Barnett shares accountability for strategic positioning and operational performance of the Health Ministries in his market, which include the Seton Family of Hospitals and Providence Healthcare Network, Waco.

Mr. Barnett has extensive healthcare executive experience. Prior to joining Seton in 1993, he served as Vice President/Chief Operating Officer at Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Va.; Executive Vice President at St. Joseph Medical Center, Joliet, Ill.; and as Senior Vice President, Operations, and Senior Vice President, Administrative Services, at St. Joseph’s of Macomb County, Mt. Clements, Mich. He also held other administrative and technical positions at St. Joseph’s of Macomb County before being appointed Senior Vice President.

He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati, and a Master of Hospital Administration from Xavier University, Cincinnati.

Mr. Barnett serves on a number of professional and civic boards. He is a member of Ascension Health’s Health Ventures Investment Advisory Committee and sits on the boards of the Cedar Park Health System, LP, and the Seton Health Plan. From 2001 through 2003, he served as the Senior Vice President of the Central and Southern States Operating Group of Ascension Health, which included health ministries in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. Previously, he was Chair of the Board of Trustees of Catholic Health Association of Texas, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Texas Hospital Association, Ascension Health Insurance, Ltd., Texas Health Resources Board and Omnicell. He currently serves on the Xavier University Graduate Program in Health Services’ Advisory Board.

Mr. Barnett is Chair of the Austin Partners in Education Board of Directors and a member of the Greater Austin Economic Development Corporation. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, in addition to serving as Vice Chair of its Education and Workforce Development Initiative. He served as the Chamber’s Chair of the Board in 2002 and 2003, Chair of the Board and Campaign Chair of the United Way Capital Area, Chair of the Board of Saint Thomas Health Services in Nashville, Tennessee, and Co-Chair of the American Heart Association (AHA) 2003 and 2004 Heartwalks. Mr. Barnett received the Austin AHA Distinguished Service Award in 2005 for his leadership during Hurricane Rita. Previously, he was a member of the Board of Austin Area Research Organization, SafePlace Foundation, and the Austin Museum of Art.

Return to Strategic Leadership Team