As president of hospital operations, David Schultz oversees operations of Ardent’s 30 hospitals across six states. In addition to market and financial operations, he is responsible for key hospital-based functions including access and transfer management, service line development and hospital-based providers. Mr. Schultz has more than 25 years of experience leading hospital and physician group operations, system integration, strategy and growth.
Mr. Schultz most recently served as president of Ardent's New Mexico market, overseeing the operations of Lovelace Health System. Previously, he served as senior vice president of operations and service lines for Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Tacoma, Washington, which encompasses 11 hospitals, nearly 5,000 employed and affiliated providers, and 18,000 team members. During his eight-year tenure with the system, he also served as market president for its Peninsula Region and president of Harrison Medical Center.
Previously, Mr. Schultz was an executive leader for hospitals in Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. He began his career with Ardent-affiliated Hillcrest HealthCare System in Tulsa, Oklahoma, prior to serving as vice president of professional services for East Texas Medical Center, the predecessor organization of Ardent-affiliated UT Health Tyler.
A fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, Mr. Schultz is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin and earned a master’s of healthcare administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.
