Ascension CEO plans to retire, and successor aims to continue turnaround

After serving as CEO of Ascension for six years and leading the system through turbulent times, Joseph Impicciche has announced his plans to retire.

Impicciche will step down at the end of the year, and his successor has already been named. Eduardo Conrado, Ascension’s president, will take over as CEO beginning Jan. 1, 2026.

The health system said the succession plan has been in place for some time. Ascension announced the change in leadership Tuesday.

A Catholic health system, Ascension operates 94 hospitals, but the organization has sold a number of its hospitals in recent years amidst financial pressures.

Reflecting changes in the healthcare market, Ascension last week announced an agreement to acquire AMSURG and its 250 ambulatory surgery centers. The deal is valued at $3.9 billion, Bloomberg reported. Ascension has said the system is aiming to reach the right footprint while offering more options for patients to get care in the way they prefer.

Impicciche led Ascension through the COVID-19 pandemic and a damaging cyberattack last year.

Stan Starnes, chairman of Ascension’s board of directors, praised Impicciche for his “steady leadership.”

“Joe has guided Ascension through some of the most challenging and transformative moments in our history,” Starnes said in a statement.

Impicciche plans to remain engaged in the final months of his tenure as CEO, and he says he’s grateful for working with the system’s staff. He has spent more than 20 years at Ascension.

“Serving this ministry has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Impicciche said in a statement with Ascension’s news release. “What gives me hope for the future is not that the work will be easy, but that I have seen what is possible when Mission-driven people come together.”

Conrado began serving as Ascension’s president in 2023. He joined the system in 2018 as executive vice president and chief digital officer, and later took on the role of chief strategy and innovation officer. Previously, he spent 26 years at Motorola Solutions.

In a post on LinkedIn, Conrado said that he recognizes Ascension’s responsibility to care for all. He also said he aims to continue the transformation of Ascension’s care delivery portfolio and strive to bring more innovation to the system.

“I remain committed to the values that have always defined Ascension — compassion, service and a special focus on those most in need,” he said. “While healthcare will continue to change, our vision remains the same as we work to bring health, healing and hope to all.”

Ascension has credited Conrado with a $2.6 billion financial turnaround, citing his work to stabilize operations, reduce the use of contract labor, expand ambulatory services, and efforts to improve patient engagement, through tools such as the Ascension One app.

“He has spent years helping shape our strategy, strengthen our operations and lead through times of complexity and change,” Starnes said in a statement. “The Board has full confidence that he is the right leader for this next chapter — one that will require clarity, compassion and a continued focus on serving all, especially those most in need.”

Ascension has been striving to bolster its financial performance after substantial losses in recent years.

The health system reported $1.8 billion in losses in the 2024 fiscal year, leading to a negative outlook from Fitch Ratings in a September 2024 report. Ascension did see significant improvement compared to the 2023 fiscal year, which saw losses of $3 billion, and the health system enjoys a strong presence in Texas, Tennessee, Florida and Indiana.

Conrado has joined other Catholic health leaders in pushing Congress to reverse course on plans that would likely lead to millions losing Medicaid coverage. He said those plans would hurt the most vulnerable, but he also said the prospect of Medicaid cuts would impact virtually all Americans.

“Cuts of this scale would deepen financial pressure on hospitals, shift even more burden into the private sector, and limit access for everyone, not just those covered from Medicaid,” Conrado said in a news conference last month.

Ascension has reached deals to sell some of its hospitals in the midwest. The system sold nine Illinois hospitals to Prime Healthcare last year in a $375 million deal. Last summer, Ascension sold three hospitals to MyMichigan Health.

The health system sold five hospitals to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System in a $450 million transaction.

In April 2025, Ascension disclosed plans to take full ownership of Cedar Park Regional Medical Center in Texas.

Impicciche says he has full confidence in Conrado and his "clear vision for what compassionate, personalized care can be."