Leadership

Chief Executive Officer, Methodist Children's Hospital and Women's Service Line

Rachel Goldsmith was appointed CEO of Methodist Children’s Hospital in 2024. Previously, she served as COO of both Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital, bringing 19 years of healthcare experience to her leadership role. Since joining Methodist Hospital in 2017 as Vice President of Operations, Rachel has been instrumental in driving significant growth across multiple service lines, including the expansion of cardiovascular services and the heart transplant and ECMO programs.

Promoted to COO of Methodist Hospital Northeast in 2020, Rachel oversaw major operational enhancements that boosted the hospital's performance and efficiency. She then returned to Methodist Hospital as COO, leading complex operations across a 996-bed facility, managing 34 operating rooms, and guiding multiple specialty units. Her strategic vision contributed to Methodist Hospital being named a Fortune Top 100 Hospital.

Rachel also played a key role in launching advanced programs such as the first lung failure and transplant program within HCA and developed comprehensive neurosciences services that recruited top-tier talent and improved patient outcomes. Born at Methodist Hospital and deeply connected to the San Antonio community, Rachel holds a Master’s in Public Administration in Health Policy and Management from New York University.

Chief Medical Officer, Methodist Children's Hospital and Women's Service Line

Rebecca Watson, MD, joined Methodist Children’s Hospital as Chief Medical Officer in September 2024. With a wealth of experience in both clinical practice and healthcare leadership, Dr. Watson is poised to elevate patient care and physician engagement.

Dr. Watson has held multiple senior leadership positions, including National Ambassador Medical Director for Sound Physicians, where she specialized in rapidly improving underperforming hospital programs. Her expertise in Lean Black Belt methodology and operational improvement has driven success across over 100 quality improvement projects. Additionally, Dr. Watson is a Certified Patient Experience Professional, using her skills to design patient-centric strategies and build collaborative environments with hospital teams.

In her new role, Dr. Watson will leverage her strong background in change management and mentoring to implement innovative care models and support Methodist Children’s Hospital and the Women’s Services mission of delivering exceptional pediatric healthcare.

Chief Nursing Officer, Methodist Children's Hospital and Women's Services

Negar Johnson, MSN, RN, NEA-BC was appointed Chief Nursing Officer of Methodist Children's Hospital and Women's Services in 2020. Negar's dedication to her work and Methodist Healthcare began in 1994, when she was hired as a registered nurse in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Methodist Hospital. She quickly progressed into positions of increased challenges and responsibilities, culminating as associate chief nursing officer at Methodist Hospital.

Negar has a long history of leading new programs, launching quality improvement initiatives, and helping team members achieve their clinical and career goals. She was instrumental in the expansion of the nationally acclaimed adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program. Negar earned the 2020 Grace Ann Durr Humanitarian Award for going above and beyond to aide in the lives of patients and community members in need. She has received many recognitions for her leadership in nursing. This short list of accomplishments does not begin to scratch the surface of the hard work Negar has put forth, or the accolades she has achieved professionally and personally.

Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Methodist Children's Hospital and Women's Services

Heather Ash joined Methodist Children’s Hospital and Women’s Services as Associate Chief Nursing Officer in May 2024. Bringing over 17 years of dedicated nursing and leadership experience, Heather has a track record of substantial contributions within the HCA family since 2011, including roles at Mountain View Hospital and Sunrise Medical Center, as well as Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas, NV. Her efforts have significantly enhanced the care experience, boosted employee engagement, and improved patient care quality. Notably, Heather has been instrumental in supporting hospital throughput, surge planning, capacity management, and overseeing a successful transition to centralized patient placement and TeleTracking at Sunrise Medical Center. Her pediatric background from Seattle Children’s Hospital further enriches her qualifications, making her a perfect fit for this leadership position.

Chief Operating Officer, Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital

Carson Smith was appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital in 2024.

Carson served as COO for Methodist Hospital I Stone Oak playing an integral role in the hospital’s significant expansion and the growth of key programs and services.

During his tenure at Methodist Hospital I Stone Oak, he has expanded the Cardiovascular program and successfully led more than $35 million in capital projects, resulting in the addition of new ORs and Cath Labs, and the expansion of the hospital’s ER and imaging infrastructure. He also advanced the stroke program to thrombectomy-capable with the creation of a neuro-endovascular program.

Prior to joining Methodist Healthcare, Carson served as the Assistant Chief Operating Officer for Medical City Dallas, Medical City Children’s Hospital, Medical City Heart, and Medical City Spine Hospital. During this time, Carson played an instrumental role in the opening of the Medical City Heart and Spine Hospitals and helped advance key service lines such as Solid Organ Transplant, Pediatric Congenital Heart, NICU, and Oncology.

Smith holds a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from Trinity University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Arkansas. Additionally, he graduated from the HCA Healthcare Executive Development Program in 2021.

Chief Financial Officer, Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children's Hospital

Jeff Ardemagni was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children's Hospital in 2023. He joins Methodist Hospital after serving as Chief Financial Officer at Medical City North Hills since 2018.

Jeff has more than twenty-five years of healthcare experience, joining HCA in 2000, where he has held numerous finance leadership positions. He has previously served as CFO of Medical City Arlington and Vice President of Finance at Medical City Plano.

During Jeff's time at Medical City Arlington, he played a significant role in the hospital achieving Level II trauma status, Comprehensive Stroke certification, growth of multiple service lines, and significant campus expansions. Jeff also served as a mentor to various finance leaders and a highly effective executive partner to his colleagues.

Jeff has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Arkansas Little Rock; and a B.S.B.A in Financial Management from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR.