CoxHealth names new president for Springfield hospitals

News-Leader Staff

Ashley Casad, vice president of clinical services, will take over as president of Springfield hospitals and senior vice president of system operations at CoxHealth at the end of January, according to a press release.

Casad, who has been with the hospital since January 2020, currently oversees oncology, neurosciences, cardiovascular services, laboratory and radiology.

During the pandemic, Casad was deputy incident commander for CoxHealth’s COVID-19 planning and response. She built CoxHealth’s COVID-19 census projection model, secured equipment for testing and portable imaging, developed our monoclonal antibody infusion center, and led CoxHealth’s vaccination efforts, which resulted in 100,000 vaccinations in three months.

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“Throughout the pandemic and beyond, Ashley has demonstrated an extraordinary work ethic and passion for creating positive change for her hospital and community,” says Amanda Hedgpeth, CoxHealth’s chief operating officer. “Ashley is a remarkable leader who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this role.”

Casad previously spent five years at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to that, she attended University of Missouri, Columbia, for masters degrees in health and business administration, and earned her bachelors degree at University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.