The Sisters of Charity Health System would like to welcome Joan Ross as chief operating officer for St. Vincent Charity Hospital. Ross comes to St. Vincent from Providence Hospitals based in Columbia, South Carolina, where she served as senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer since 2006. At Providence, which was founded by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine in 1938 through mortgaging their motherhouse in Lakewood and is now the leading cardiovascular center in South Carolina, Ross developed a culture of patient safety by eliminating silos and enhancing communication across departments.

As the COO, Ross will be responsible for daily operations at St. Vincent Charity Hospital and report to Sister Judith Ann Karam. “We are excited about the dedication to high-quality patient care and service excellence that Joan will bring to St. Vincent and look forward to having her on our leadership team,” says Karam. “She has exhibited a dedication to patient care centered on compassion, respect and accountability.”

“St. Vincent has a long-standing tradition of providing quality health care as a part of the Cleveland community,” said Ross. “I embrace Sister Judith Ann’s vision for St. Vincent’s and look forward to helping to lead the renaissance. I have developed a deep fondness for the core values on which we base our delivery of care to our patients,” she said. “It is because of this commitment to patient care, which I value greatly, that I have accepted this new role within the Sisters of Charity Health System.”

A native of Lorain, Ohio, Ross returns to Northeast Ohio after having spent most of her 25-year career in nursing and health care administration at hospitals in Columbus, Virginia and at Providence. “I grew up in Northeast Ohio and am excited to return to the community where my father, siblings and extended family still live,” said Ross. She will assume her new role on Sept. 14.