In his new day job, Scott Kashman supervises Ascension St. Vincent’s four Jacksonville-area hospitals, about 90 other care sites and 5,300 staff. Together, they have the lives of thousands of people in their hands.
His side gig — comedy writing and stand-up comedy — is a relief valve.
“Comedy has always been a creative outlet for me,” Kashman told the Times-Union. “Health care carries tremendous responsibility and I’ve learned that taking care of yourself is part of taking care of others. For me, writing comedy and occasionally getting on stage is one way I recharge.
“Humor builds connection, relieves stress and keeps me grounded,” he said. “You can absolutely be deeply committed to the serious work of health care while also finding joy and laughter along the way. In fact, I think it makes me a better leader. Laughter is medicine!”
Kashman, 56, was recently named CEO of Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System, which has four Catholic health care hospitals in the Jacksonville area. Each hospital has its own president, but Kashman works with them to set strategy, attract the best staff, fund the best equipment and oversee Ascension’s expansion in the rapidly growing Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia market.
“I don’t do it alone,” he said. “My role is helping bring our organization together as one team. … I’m super excited and energized by the opportunity.”
Ascension St. Vincent’s Health System includes Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside, Ascension St. Vincent’s Southside, Ascension St. Vincent’s Clay County, Ascension St. Vincent’s St. Johns County and dozens of Ascension St. Vincent’s Medical Group locations serving Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.
Kashman joined Ascension in 2023 as CEO of St. Vincent’s Riverside. Since Jan. 1, he has also been the system’s interim leader, getting the full title July 1. He succeeded Don King, now an administrator for Ascension St. Vincent’s Indiana.
Kashman has almost 30 years of experience in health care administration. Prior to his Ascension work, he was market president and CEO for St. Dominic Health in Jackson, Mississippi. Earlier he was interim system vice president for administration and governance for SSM Health in St. Louis and chief operating officer for Lee Health in Fort Myers.
“Scott leads with a clear commitment to the people and communities we are privileged to serve, making him the right leader for this next chapter,” John Deardorff, Ascension’s regional operating officer, said.
At Riverside, Kashman “led a significant financial and quality turnaround,” including improving the hospital’s Leapfrog Health Grade from “C” to “A” and expanding cancer, brain tumor and cardiovascular care, according to Ascension.
The regional system also has since added a new labor and delivery facility at its St. Johns County campus, a neonatal intensive care expansion at the Clay County campus and a freestanding emergency room at Beach and Kernan boulevards. In addition, the system’s “emergency care and primary care footprint” has expanded across Northeast Florida.
Kashman is particularly proud of Ascension’s cardiac care accomplishments, which include Riverside as the first Northeast Florida hospital to treat patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, using an advanced pulse field ablation technology.
He lauds its medical outreach, which includes a mobile health ministry, Good Samaritan Fund to help discharged patients who need financial support beyond their hospital stay and the Brighter Beginnings program to support expectant mothers and families. In fiscal year 2024, Ascension St. Vincent’s provided about $202 million in community benefit and other care for vulnerable people.
“Every decision we make comes back to those we serve,” Kashman said. “The work our teams do every day has a direct impact on the wellness and vitality of our community. My role is to make sure we have what we need to keep showing up for this community at the highest level.”
Psychology, rugby and radio set the stage
When Kashman attended the University of Pittsburgh, his goals were to study psychology, play rugby and be on college radio.
By the time he left, he had obtained a bachelor of science degree in psychology and competed in a hard-scrabble sport that was followed by players coming together to celebrate. And, after a tough start in radio, he found his voice.
“I was terrible,” he said. “I had no idea what I was a talking about.”
But radio taught Kashman the importance of having an educated “point of view,” and a radio colleague later said “you’re a natural.”
Kashman said his psychology degree and rugby and radio experience come in handy working with four hospital presidents, wrangling 5,300 staff and engaging the community. He has to understand people and their motivations, engage in healthy, conflict-free competition and assert opinions based on fact.
He talks to everyone to gauge “what’s working well, what’s not working well,” he said.
The goal is to “focus on patient needs … getting care closer to where they live,” he said.
Where they live is an ever-expanding universe, so planning new facilities is a constant.
“The Jacksonville region is experiencing growth that is higher than average,” Kashman said. “We look at the market, Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, decide what makes sense locally.”
Ascension’s 110-year, faith-based history attracts patients and staff. The Daughters of Charity, an international society of noncloistered Catholic women, established the original St. Vincent’s hospital in Riverside in 1916 to serve the poor and improve local health care. In 1999, they “joined other like-minded sisters to create Ascension, a jointly sponsored Catholic health system that would provide maximized national advocacy, with each health ministry continuing its important locally-driven work,” according to the Ascension St. Vincent’s Foundation website.
“Our history … makes us unique,” Kashman said. “We want people to see the difference, the mission.”
In addition to his University of Pittsburgh degree, he obtained a master’s degree in health administration from Tulane University in New Orleans and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Besides comedy writing, he writes about health care, including being co-author of “Mindful Healthcare: Healthy Team, Healthy Business,” available on Amazon.
He is bolstered by his family — he and his wife of 27 years have three adult children — and work in civic affairs. Leaders of the JAX Chamber and Jacksonville Civic Council Foundation, where he is a board member, sing his praises.
“Scott Kashman has impacted Jacksonville since the first day he arrived,” Daniel Davis, JAX Chamber president and CEO, said. “He brings valuable leadership and perspective … through his experience leading one of Northeast Florida’s largest health care systems. Ascension is a critical part of our region’s economy and we are a better community with him here. He is a thoughtful board member whose expertise helps strengthen discussions around regional growth, workforce, and community well-being.”
Dennis Whittle is CEO of the Civic Council, a nonprofit group of local leaders who work to improve Jacksonville’s economic growth and overall quality of life. The foundation is the council’s funding arm.
“Scott Kashman is the type of leader Jacksonville needs to become a Top 50 global city,” Whittle said. “His focus on ambitious, patient-focused goals and ‘never settling’ for second-best are key to our world-class health care ecosystem.”
Beth Reese Cravey has been a reporter for The Florida Times-Union for 45 years, currently specializing in nonprofits and health. She can be reached at bcravey@jacksonville.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: New Ascension CEO talks comedy, rugby, radio — and, yes, health care
Reporting by Beth Reese Cravey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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By Beth Reese Cravey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
