Trendline Health | OH Pulse | 2026 | Issue 5
Workforce & Leadership
OhioHealth Southeastern Medical Center names Kristin Gardner new CNO
Kristin Gardner, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, appointed chief nursing officer at OhioHealth Southeastern Medical Center in Cambridge. With 25 years in community hospitals, she most recently led as CNO at OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital (3 years) and Berger Hospital (8 years). Gardner succeeds Gina Woods (now at Grant Medical Center) and prioritizes compassionate, high-quality care and relationship-building in the community.
OhioHealth NewsroomNOMS Healthcare appoints Rick Schneider CEO
Rick Schneider elevated to CEO of NOMS Healthcare after serving as Chief Strategic Officer, where he helped double the organization’s size since 2015. His background includes network development, M&A, and risk management across Northeast Ohio.
Crain’s ClevelandLifepoint Health names five new hospital CEOs across acute, rehab, behavioral
Lifepoint tapped new CEOs for facilities in Texas, Washington, Ohio, Kentucky, and North Carolina, including Ellen Moss for University Hospitals Avon and Beachwood rehab hospitals in Ohio. Moves aim to strengthen leadership in diverse care settings.
Becker’s Hospital Review
Growth & Finance
Cleveland Clinic posts record $18B revenue, >4% margin in 2025
Cleveland Clinic exceeded budget with $18 billion operating revenue, nearly 16 million patient encounters, and >4% margin (up from 1.7% in 2024). CEO Tom Mihaljevic highlighted the performance as fuel for growth, AI integration, safety investments, and expansions including new cancer facilities and a planned Level 1 trauma center.
Fierce Healthcare • Becker’s • Ideastream
Knox Community Hospital outsources billing to Ovation Healthcare
Rural Knox Community Hospital signed a three-year billing partnership with Ovation effective Feb. 1, 2026; most of its 42 billing staff transitioned to Ovation with remote roles preserved. Builds on successful 2024–2025 collaboration that recovered >$12M post-Change Healthcare cyberattack amid rising commercial claim denials.
“ I think this will be another step into enhancing that customer service, platform, and just the overall billing process as well. So I see this as a positive move for the organization.” ~Danielle O’Brien
Policy & Regulation
Ohio nurses press lawmakers for minimum staffing ratios + training funds
Ohio Nurses Association backs HB 285 to set hospital nurse-to-patient minimums and allocate $20M for nurse training grants tied to five-year Ohio service commitment. Witnesses cited unsafe staffing driving burnout (63% considering leaving bedside) and patient risk; Ohio Hospital Association opposes mandates as limiting flexibility.
Chief Healthcare Executive
Rankings & Ratings
Healthgrades 2026 America’s 50 Best Hospitals: Ohio claims five spots
Healthgrades named top 50 U.S. hospitals (top 1%) based on 2022–2024 Medicare data; Ohio hospitals earning America’s 50 Best: Mercy Health-Fairfield, Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health (Cincinnati), Mercy Health-West (Cincinnati), Akron City, and Mercy Health-St. Elizabeth Youngstown. Analysis estimates 211,000+ lives saved annually if all hospitals matched top 250 performance.
Chief Healthcare Executive • Becker’s
Trendline Health OH Pulse curates the week’s most actionable Ohio healthcare developments.
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