Ascension Saint Thomas named Jake Golich the first president and CEO of its planned Clarksville hospital and formed a community advisory board to guide the project, the organization announced Oct. 29. The $148.5 million hospital and integrated health campus is planned for Clarksville-Montgomery County, according to Ascension Saint Thomas.
Golich brings nearly two decades of health care leadership experience, and most recently held executive and regional leadership roles with HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Division, including as CEO of Pinewood Springs Mental Health & Wellness in Columbia, the announcement said. Ascension said the advisory board will offer local perspectives as plans advance, and that many members are expected to serve on the hospital’s inaugural Board of Directors when it opens.
The board is chaired by Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden, with Jack Turner as honorary co-chair. Other members are Tommy Bates, Jeff Bibb, Rosalind Kurita, Ben Kimbrough Jr., Leo Millan, Mark Muiznieks, Rob Salome and Ralph Schulz, according to Ascension.
Ascension said it broke ground in June on the 96-acre campus near Highway 76 and Interstate 24. The hospital is planned to open with 44 inpatient beds, with capacity to expand to 132 as needs grow. Planned services include emergency care, surgery, cardiology, neurosciences, women’s health, neonatal intensive care, oncology and orthopedics, as well as outpatient surgery, advanced imaging, specialty ambulatory care and inpatient rehabilitation.
The project is expected to create about 250 hospital jobs and generate an estimated $316 million in annual economic impact while supporting more than 1,300 direct and indirect jobs in the region, Ascension said.
