John D. Nash, President and Chief Executive Officer of Franciscan Children’s, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) and began his term on January 1, 2017.

Nash has more than 30 years of healthcare experience and has served in leadership roles at  hospitals all over the country, including 12 years as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Prior to Franciscan Children’s, he also served as Associate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Boston University National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories and served two years as Senior Vice President and General Manager at University Hospitals of Cleveland. In Boston, he previously oversaw the implementation of clinical programs at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he served as Chief of Hospital Operations. His leadership experience at Franciscan Children’s and work in collaboration with children’s hospitals across the country are foundational to his role as a trustee for CHA as the organization addresses the opportunities and challenges of improving health care for the nation’s 78 million children.

“As a community, children’s hospitals collaborate to continually improve care for our patients and their families,” said Nash. “It is a privilege to champion children’s health with my colleagues across the nation as we work toward solutions to address the unique health care needs of children.”

“The Children’s Hospital Association gains an insightful leader with the addition of John D. Nash to our Board of Trustees,” said Steve Allen, MD, CHA’s 2016 board chair, and CEO of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “I look forward to his perspectives and contributions as we strive to push the need for national investment in children’s health care.”

CHA is the national voice of more than 200 children’s hospitals, advancing child health through innovation in the quality, cost and delivery of care. At Franciscan Children’s, Nash has focused on these same priorities, changing the organization from the inside out. Under his leadership, both services and patient volume have increased and behavioral health, pediatric post-acute clinical services and research programs have expanded – all while quality improvements across the organization are implemented. Nash continues to spearhead initiatives that aim to deliver the very best care while fully supporting a positive and productive patient and family experience.

Nash is a graduate of Boston College, holds a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Duke University and also served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy. Nash is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), a designation that signifies his experience and commitment to continuing education and professional development in the healthcare field. He currently lives in Marblehead, Mass., with his family.