Ardent Health names new CEO and looks for financial rebound

Ardent Health has made a leadership change as the health system looks to improve its financial performance.

A for-profit system based in Brentwood, Tennessee, Ardent announced last week that it has elevated Dave Caspers, the system’s former chief operating officer, to serve as president and chief executive officer. He succeeds Marty Bonick, who had served as Ardent’s president and CEO for nearly six years.

Ardent said Bonick stepped down to pursue other opportunities, and the system’s leaders praised Bonick’s leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and the system’s initial public offering.

However, in its announcement of Casper’s appointment as CEO, Ardent also pointed to areas where the system is looking to do better.

Alfred Lumsdaine, Ardent’s chief financial officer, said in a statement announcing Caspers’ elevation that the system “observed volume softness across our portfolio” in the second quarter.

Ardent’s stock has dropped over the past year. Its stock price closed at $9.67 Thursday, down from a little over $13 a year ago. The system is expanding its plans to cut expenses.

Caspers said in a news release that he is relishing the challenge of taking over as CEO “at this important moment in Ardent Health’s history.”

“Ardent Health and our best-in-class team are well-positioned to accelerate our next phase of growth, and I am eager to build on this momentum with a continued focus on delivering high-quality care to the communities we serve,” Caspers said in a statement.

Caspers also credited Bonick for his leadership and putting the system on “solid footing.”

Caspers previously spent several years at Banner Health, eventually rising to vice president of health care operations. He also served as vice president of healthcare operations for Target for more than five years. He joined Ardent as the system’s chief operating officer in March 2025.

Mark Sotir, chairman of the Ardent Health Board of Directors, issued a statement praising Caspers’ track record.

“Dave brings decades of operational experience and a strong understanding of Ardent Health’s mission and strategy,” Sotir said. “We are confident in his ability to lead the company forward as we sharpen our focus on operational excellence and long-term growth as part of our ongoing transformation.”

Sotir also credited Bonick for helping Ardent through the COVID-19 pandemic and “positioning the business for sustained long-term growth.”

Under Bonick, Ardent has been moving beyond acute care in the hospital. The system has acquired urgent care centers in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas and Kansas.

In a February 2025 interview with Chief Healthcare Executive®, Bonick expressed enthusiasm for Ardent’s adoption of AI, including ambient documentation for doctors.

Bonick also talked about Ardent’s recovery after a significant cyberattack in 2023. He praised the support of the board of directors and Ardent’s staff in developing strong plans for AI and cybersecurity.

In an interview at the ViVE conference in Nashville last year, Bonick said he always strives to maintain an even keel.

“There are going to be pluses and minuses, or ups and downs to our business and to our industry, and we will get through them," Bonick said in 2025. “People that can keep their cool under pressure and maintain a healthy outlook on the opportunity that's buried inside of the challenge that we might be facing, are going to come out well on the other side.”