Charles J. Barnett
President and Chief Executive Officer
SETON Healthcare Network, Ascension Health, Austin, TX
Biography
Charles J. Barnett has been the President and CEO of the SETON Healthcare Network since August of 1993. SETON is the leading healthcare provider in Central Texas, serving a population of 1.5 million and is the second largest corporate employer, with more than 7,800 associates and an operating budget of more than $796 million. As a not-for-profit healthcare organization, SETON provides service at 20 locations in Central Texas. Last year SETON provided just over $192 million in charity and community benefits.
SETON is a member of Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system with more than 100,000 associates serving in 67 acute care hospitals and dozens of related facilities in 20 states and the District of Columbia.
Mr. Barnett is Chair of the Austin Partners in Education Board of Directors, a member of the Greater Austin Economic Development Corporation and the Executive Committee of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, in addition to Vice Chair of its Education and Workforce Development Initiative. He also served as Board Chair for the Chamber in 2002 and 2003. He is a member of the Ascension Health’s Health Ventures Investment Advisory Committee, the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO) and the Covenant Management Partners Board of Managers. In the past, he was a board member and chair of the Board of Trustees of Catholic Health Association of Texas. He also served as Chair of the Board and Campaign Chair of the United Way/Capital Area, Chair of the Board of Saint Thomas Health Services in Nashville, Tennessee and Co-Chair of the American Heart Association’s 2003 and 2004 Heartwalks. Formerly he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Texas Hospital Association, Omnicell, SafePlace Foundation, Ascension Health Insurance, Ltd., Austin Museum of Art and the Texas Health Resources Boards.
Mr. Barnett began his healthcare career as an operating room technician in 1972, and earned a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Xavier University. From 2001 through 2003, Mr. Barnett served as the Senior Vice President of the Central and Southern States Operating Group of Ascension Health, which included health ministries in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. Prior to joining SETON, Mr. Barnett served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Inova Health System and Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia and worked for 10 years at St. Joseph Hospital, part of the Sisters of Charity Healthcare System of Cincinnati. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from the University of Cincinnati and taught history there before entering the healthcare field. He has authored articles on a variety of healthcare issues and has presented at numerous national healthcare conferences.