New Position Will Lead Efforts in Northwest Indiana
Ashley Dickinson, who has served as Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Health – La Porte and Northwest Health – Starke since 2017, has been promoted to CEO Northwest Health effective March 22. The system includes Northwest Health – La Porte, Northwest Health – Porter, Northwest Health – Starke, Northwest Medical Group, Northwest Health Emergency Medical Services, Northwest Health Occupational Medicine and affiliated outpatient locations in Chesterton, Michigan City, Portage and Valparaiso. The new role will provide cohesive and coordinated leadership for the system.
Dickinson brings extensive experience, having led strategic initiatives and service line development, strong physician recruitment and relationship skills, and the ability to create and maintain a positive culture. Her prior experience at all three of the Northwest Health hospitals will be a benefit as the system expands its regional presence.
“It has been my honor to support the physicians, nurses and other caregivers at Northwest Health – La Porte and Northwest Health - Starke and to serve as the Chief Operating Officer at Northwest Health – Porter prior to that. We have many opportunities, as a regional healthcare system, to work together to expand services throughout Northwest Indiana” Dickinson said. “At the foundation of everything we do is a deep dedication to serve our patients. I am proud of our caregivers’ commitment, at all of the Northwest Health organizations, to providing compassionate, quality care and I look forward to supporting their efforts.”
Since she was appointed CEO of the hospitals in La Porte and Knox in 2017, Dickinson has worked with board members, physicians and colleagues to expand services, including building a replacement hospital in La Porte. Under her leadership the organizations increased general surgery and cardiology services, added access points in Michigan City and La Porte, invested in advanced technologies, and increased employee engagement. During her tenure Northwest Health – La Porte earned national recognition as an accredited chest pain center, a top maternity hospital, and was named one of only three accredited cardiac electrophysiology labs in the state of Indiana. To help patients more easily access these services, she has recruited more than 50 healthcare providers to the market.
The board chair at Northwest Health – La Porte, Craig Menne, remarked “Ashley has the experience and skills needed to lead all three Northwest Health hospitals. I’m glad she will continue to lead Northwest Health – La Porte and I look forward to seeing how she will advance the entire Northwest Health system.
Stephen Paul, MD, board chair for Northwest Health – Porter added, “The board is familiar with Ashley’s successful tenure as CEO in La Porte and Knox and at Northwest Health – Porter prior to that. The board is confident that her leadership is exactly what Northwest Health needs to move forward. I look forward
to working with her at Northwest Health – Porter and assisting her efforts to develop new programs and make Northwest Health the preferred place for physicians and employees to work.”
Jeff Vice will serve as interim Chief Administrative Officer at Northwest Health – La Porte and Northwest Health – Starke. Vice has served as the Chief Operating Officer of these two hospitals since 2016.
Dickinson has been an active member of the La Porte and Northwest Indiana communities and looks forward to getting more involved in Porter County. She holds a master’s degrees in Health Administration and Business Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Oklahoma State University.
