10 Ascension legal leaders
Sarah Herzog, Senior Vice President, General Counsel Ascension Healthcare at Ascension, is the first of these Ascension legal leaders, a group that also takes in vice presidents and associate general counsel and a senior director of claims and litigation. A reader can learn how legal leaders work at Ascension from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Anne Ruff
LinkedInExperience: Vice President & Associate General Counsel · Ascension
Anne Ruff has been Vice President & Associate General Counsel at Ascension since September 2023 and Division Lead Attorney - Clinical & Regulatory Division Legal at Ascension since August 2021, based in Indianapolis. Anne Ruff was Attorney at Ascension from 2018 to 2021 and Attorney at Hall Render from 2011 to 2017.
Jenna Mihm
LinkedInExperience: VP, Legal Services & Associate General Counsel · Ascension
Jenna Mihm is a former VP, Legal Services & Associate General Counsel at Ascension, a role held from January 2013 to September 2023, based in St. Louis. Jenna Mihm has been Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer at Ascension since September 2023 and was Associate General Counsel & Corporate Responsibility Officer at Carondelet Health from 2009 to 2012.
John Hakes, JD MBA MS
LinkedInExperience: Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Ascension · Ascension
John Hakes has been Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Ascension at Ascension since February 2022 and Chief Legal Officer at Medxcel since September 2016, based in Greater Indianapolis. John Hakes was National Operations Practice Area Lead Attorney at Ascension from 2016 to 2022 and Vice President & General Counsel at American Neuroscience Investments, LLC from 2007 to 2016.
Julieann Diamond-Carrow
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Legal Services & General Counsel of St. Mary’s Healthcare · Ascension
Julieann Diamond-Carrow is a former Vice President of Legal Services & General Counsel of St. Mary’s Healthcare at Ascension, a role held from January 2008 to January 2018, based in the Albany, New York area. Julieann Diamond-Carrow has been Vice President & General Counsel at St. Mary’s Healthcare since May 2020 and was Of Counsel Attorney at Jackson Lewis P.C. from 2019 to 2020.
Justan Shinkle
LinkedInExperience: Vice President & Associate General Counsel · Ascension
Justan Shinkle has been Vice President & Associate General Counsel at Ascension since March 2025 and Senior Attorney at Ascension since December 2019, based in Wichita, Kansas, with a headline that places the role with Ascension Kansas and Ascension Oklahoma. Justan Shinkle was Attorney at Foulston Siefkin LLP from 2009 to 2019.
Matthew Jagger
LinkedInExperience: Vice President & Associate General Counsel - Ascension Tennessee & Ascension Texas · Ascension
Matthew Jagger has been Vice President & Associate General Counsel - Ascension Tennessee & Ascension Texas at Ascension since October 2024, based in Nashville. Matthew Jagger held the role of Vice President & Associate General Counsel - Southeast Ministries at Ascension from 2019 to 2025, was Practice Area Lead Attorney - Transactions at Ascension from 2018 to 2019 and was Shareholder at Hall Render from 2005 to 2017.
Michael Hermann
LinkedInExperience: Sr. Director, Claims & Litigation · Ascension
Michael Hermann has been Sr. Director, Claims & Litigation at Ascension since July 2024 and Director, Claims & Litigation at Ascension since October 2022, based in St. Louis. Michael Hermann was Claims Manager & Litigation Counsel at Ascension from 2014 to 2022 and Associate Attorney at Boyle Brasher LLC from 2004 to 2014.
Robin Ludlow
LinkedInExperience: VP Associate General Counsel · Ascension
Robin Ludlow has been VP Associate General Counsel at Ascension since October 2023, based in Indianapolis, with a headline that also gives the title Chief Legal Officer - Ascension St. Vincent. Robin Ludlow held the role of Senior Attorney at Ascension from 2018 to 2024 and was Attorney at Hall Render from 2008 to 2017.
Sarah Clark Hannah
LinkedInExperience: Vice President and Associate General Counsel · Ascension
Sarah Clark Hannah has been Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Ascension since February 2022, based in Nashville, with a headline that places the role in business transactions. Sarah Clark Hannah was Division Lead Attorney - Business Transactions at Ascension from 2020 to 2022, Partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP from 2014 to 2020 and Member at FBT Gibbons from 2006 to 2014.
Sarah Herzog
LinkedInExperience: Senior Vice President, General Counsel Ascension Healthcare · Ascension
Sarah Herzog has been Senior Vice President, General Counsel Ascension Healthcare at Ascension since July 2026 and Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel at Ascension since March 2020, based in the United States. Sarah Herzog was VP Associate General Counsel Ascension, Wisconsin and Northeast Ministry Markets at Ascension from 2016 to 2020 and Senior Vice President & General Counsel at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare from 2005 to 2016.
Choose the right perspective
Match each person's own role, scope and time in it to the decision you face. Check when each person started the current role, or when a former person left, to judge how recent their view is.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you change first when you took on your legal role, and why?
- 02How do you decide which legal work to keep in house and which to send to outside counsel?
- 03What has your own work taught you about legal work at a large health system?
Reaching Ascension legal leaders
How can I contact one of these Ascension legal leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Ascension, based on profile data retrieved on October 24, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Ascension legal leaders?
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Can an AI agent ask one of these Ascension legal leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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