For over 25 years, Nick Ragone’s diverse talents have distinguished his impact across healthcare, communications and in his community. As EVP and chief marketing and communications officer for one of the nation’s leading nonprofit health systems, he has been pivotal in Ascension’s drive to keep Americans safely seeking care during the pandemic. With frontline caregivers confronting unprecedented demands, Ragone’s team coordinated centralized, agile communications to ensure continuity in care delivery across Ascension, quickly pivoting marketing strategies to promote telemedicine, which surged from 500 visits a day to more than 10,000 daily.

Ascension’s mission to “serve all persons, with special attention to those most vulnerable,” drives marketing strategy and also serves as a personal inspiration to Ragone. He created Your Move Chess, a partnership with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis to help students in underserved communities learn chess and build critical thinking skills.