Ascension Health: James P. (Jim) Houser, President and Chief Executive Officer, Saint Thomas Health Services, Nashville, Tenn. Hospital, Ascension Health Nashville/Birmingham Ministry Market Leader

James P. (Jim) Houser
Ascension Health Nashville/Birmingham Ministry Market Leader
President and Chief Executive Officer, Saint Thomas Health Services, Nashville, Tenn.

James P. (Jim) Houser is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Thomas Health Services, Nashville, Tenn., and serves as the Nashville/Birmingham Ministry Market Leader for Ascension Health. He provides strategic and operational leadership for Saint Thomas Health Services while promoting alignment among Health Ministries within the Nashville/Birmingham market and with the System Office on issues related to Mission and Vision. In addition, Mr. Houser shares accountability for strategic positioning and operational performance of the Health Ministries in his market, which are Saint Thomas Health System and St. Vincent’s Health System, Birmingham, Ala.

Mr. Houser has more than 30 years of healthcare leadership experience. Prior to joining Saint Thomas Health Services, he served as Chief Operating Officer at St.Vincent Health, Indianapolis, Ind., from December 2002 through June 2005. His healthcare career began at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. He served as Regional President/CEO for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health Care in San Antonio, Texas, and held increasingly responsible positions with St. Joseph Health System, Orange, Calif., beginning at St. Mary of the Plains Hospital, Lubbock, Texas. He also served as President/Chief Executive Officer of Santa Rosa Memorial, Santa Rosa, Calif., and Regional President/CEO for the Northern California Region of St. Joseph Heath System.

Mr. Houser holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, and a Master of Science degree from Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas.

He has provided leadership in civic organizations including Board appointments in several cities for the United Way, Goodwill Industries, and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. He was a director for the Hospital Council of North Central California, the Sonoma County Business Roundtable, Voluntary Hospitals of America/Southeast, and the Board of Nashville’s Agenda. He is a Fellow in the Healthier Communities Fellowship sponsored by the Healthcare Forum and was recognized by the San Antonio Business Journal as the 2002 Healthcare Hero for Leadership Excellence. He serves on the Board of the Middle Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the YMCA, and has twice been named to the Nashville Business Journal’s Healthcare Top 100.

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