It is the first Power 50 recognition for all three men.

Two members of the , Christopher Dischinger and John Hollenbach, also are among those recognized.

For the sixth consecutive year, Business First has published the list of 50 most influential business and civic leaders in the region. Louisville Business First selected honorees from individuals nominated by the public and those covered in the publication’s own reporting and sourcing. It does not include elected officials. The 5 on the Rise class recognizes emerging influential leaders.

Bradley assumed leadership of UofL in March after serving as executive vice president and university provost and dean of the UofL School of Dentistry. Since taking the helm at UofL, Bradley has overseen the completion of the , the opening of the Engineering Student Success and Research Building and surpassing 25,000 enrolled students for the first time in the university’s history.

In his State of the University address on Feb. 12, Bradley highlighted goals for UofL, including a focus on further improvements in enrollment, six-year retention rates, degrees offered and experiential learning opportunities. He intends to prioritize new residence halls and academic research facilities.

“I am grateful to lead this great university and amplify its positive impact on the city of Louisville,” Bradley said. “It is an honor to be recognized by Business First in the Power 50 2026, particularly after less than a year in my role as president of UofL.”

Since being named director of athletics in 2022, Heird also has had some significant wins. He hired Jeff Brohm to lead the football program and Pat Kelsey to take the reins of men’s basketball. In the 2024-25 season, ten UofL teams earned a top-25 ranking and 11 programs earned trips to the postseason.��

Under Heird’s leadership, student-athlete academic success has been a priority. Last semester closed with an overall department GPA of 3.431��— with 18 of 19 sports above 3.2. UofL athletes are also winning with a 96% graduation success rate.��

Jason Smith, chief executive officer of UofL Health, was named CEO of the health system in October after serving most recently as its interim CEO and chief medical officer. In December, he oversaw the opening of the $186 million, seven-story .

The honorees will be profiled in the March 27, 2026, print edition of Louisville Business First, and online around that time.

“Dr. Smith is ideally suited for this next evolution for UofL Health,” said Gerry Bradley, University of Louisville president and UofL Health board chair. “He is a trusted leader within the organization, among colleagues and throughout the community. That, along with his clinical and administrative expertise, provides a unique skillset to lead our system and the team to deliver the best care to those we serve.”

“I am both humbled and honored to lead this team – one built on a foundation of academic excellence, compassionate care and community partnership – working each day to better the health of the communities and commonwealth we serve,” Smith said. “Over the past decade, I have witnessed firsthand the extraordinary dedication of our physicians, nurses, staff and academic partners. Together, we have faced some of the most complex challenges in modern health care, yet through our shared mission, we have continued to expand access, improve outcomes, and strengthen our system for the patients and families who depend on us. This is a pivotal time for UofL Health and for the commonwealth we serve. I am inspired by what we have accomplished and energized by what lies ahead. Together, we will continue to build a stronger, more resilient and more innovative health system for the future of Kentucky.”

Smith joined the faculty at the UofL School of Medicine in 2008 after completing medical school and residency at The Ohio State University. He earned his PhD in physiology and biophysics from the University of Louisville and received a Master of Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He is board-certified in general surgery and critical care. He was recently awarded the Paragon Award from the Greater Louisville Medical Society for outstanding contributions to health care leadership, advocacy for gun violence victims and his commitment to the education of future physicians.

As CEO of UofL Health, Smith will lead a regional academic health system made up of nine hospitals, four medical centers, Brown Cancer Center and Eye Institute. UofL Health has 250 locations in Kentucky and Southern Indiana, with more than 1,200 providers. With his appointment, UofL Health becomes the only physician-led health system in the region.

“As a combined system, UofL Health has had a tremendous impact in a short period of time. As we transition into our new future, our focus will remain clear: to sustain our financial health, support our workforce, and advance our academic mission so that every patient receives the highest quality of care—close to home, from a team that reflects the very best of this community,” Smith said.

The largest of these gifts, a $3 million investment��in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at��,��will help create eight new private family rooms designed to improve outcomes for medically fragile newborns.

“Through their investment in UofL and UofL Health, Kosair for Kids makes it possible for us to provide critical care to pediatric patients and their families—from the NICU, to Frazier Rehab��Institute, to the School of Dentistry,” said University of Louisville President and Chair of the UofL Health Board of Directors Gerry Bradley. “Family-centered care is proven to improve outcomes, and these investments will truly change lives. We are honored to join Kosair for Kids in making this care possible for the children of our region.”

Each year, the NICU at UofL Hospital provides care for more than 400 newborns, with nearly 90% coming from low-income households.��The NICU expansion will convert outdated open-bay nursery space into private rooms, allowing parents to stay with their infants, strengthening family bonds and supporting improved medical outcomes.

“We are deeply grateful to Kosair for Kids for their extraordinary generosity and continued partnership with UofL Health and UofL. This investment in our NICU is transformational,” said UofL Health Interim CEO Jason Smith. “It means more families can remain together during critical moments of care and more babies will have the best possible chance at a healthy start. Thanks to Kosair for Kids, we can extend hope and healing to the youngest and most vulnerable in our community.”

In addition to the NICU expansion, Kosair for Kids will also be supporting two additional initiatives:

• $47,300 to����to purchase specialized pediatric rehabilitation equipment, including the Bioness L300 Go Plus System, which helps children with neurological conditions strengthen mobility and independence.
• $50,000 to the , ensuring children and families experiencing financial hardship continue to receive essential oral health services.

For more than a century, Kosair for Kids has been dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of children in Kentucky and southern Indiana. These latest gifts build on its longstanding collaboration with UofL and UofL Health, helping ensure every child has the best opportunity to grow, heal and thrive.

“Dr. Smith is a distinguished physician and leader, uniquely positioned to continue the momentum of UofL Health,” Gerry Bradley, University of Louisville president, said. “His combination of clinical experience, innovative leadership and consensus building is well known among our team and colleagues across the nation. I look forward to the impact he will have on the health of our community and commonwealth.”

Smith has served as CMO for UofL Health since its inception in November 2019 and served as CMO for UofL Health – UofL Hospital from 2017 to 2019. He has been a member of the University of Louisville School of Medicine faculty since 2008.

“I strongly believe in the mission of UofL Health,” Smith shared. “Being able to serve our organization in this role is exciting and I look forward to continuing to work alongside our team to provide quality, patient-centered care to our community. I want to thank former CEO, Tom Miller, for his leadership and the UofL Health Board for this opportunity.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith led the health system’s response and served as an expert voice throughout Kentuckiana and the commonwealth.

Last year, he was awarded the Paragon Award from the Greater Louisville Medical Society for his outstanding contributions to health care leadership, advocacy for gun violence victims and his commitment to the education of future physicians.

Smith earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Wright State University before completing his��medical��degree��at��The��Ohio��State��University. He completed his residency in��surgery at The Ohio State University before joining the University of Louisville. Smith earned his Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from UofL in 2012. He received a master of business administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in 2019. He is board-certified in general surgery and critical care by the American Board of Surgery.

For more information on the UofL Health, visit: .

About UofL Health

UofL Health is a not-for-profit (501(c)(3)) fully integrated regional academic health system with nine hospitals, four medical centers, Brown Cancer Center, Eye Institute, more than 250 physician practice locations, and more than 1,200 providers in Louisville and the surrounding counties, including southern Indiana. Additional access to UofL Health is provided through a partnership with Carroll County Memorial Hospital.

��Affiliated with the University of Louisville School of Medicine, UofL Health is committed to providing patients with access to the most advanced care available. This includes clinical trials, collaboration on research and the development of new technologies to both save and improve lives. With more than 14,000 team members – physicians, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists and other highly-skilled healthcare��professionals, UofL Health is focused on one mission: to transform the health of communities we serve through compassionate, innovative, patient-centered care. For more information on UofL Health, go to .

“On behalf of all those at UofL Hospital, I’d like to thank Old National Bank for helping us save more lives,” said Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer for UofL Health. “This generous gift will enhance our program’s ability to support our community, staff, patients and families by helping us improve our ongoing trauma readiness and family support services at the Trauma Center.��We grieve with our Old National neighbors, and we also share in our Love for Louisville.”

The gift to UofL Hospital was part of $1 million in total donations from Old National in response to the tragic April 10 event.

Donation distribution:

• $600,000 – “” – established by Community Foundation of Louisville
• $150,000 – (supporting Officer Nickolas Wilt)
• $150,000 –
• $100,000 – ��

“From law enforcement representatives who risked their lives to first responders and the amazing team at the University of Louisville Hospital Trauma Center, there were so many brave and selfless individuals who emerged to care for our Old National family members,” said Old National Bank CEO Jim Ryan. “We hope that these gifts reflect our immense gratitude for these heroes and our appreciation for the work of the American Red Cross to ensure life-saving blood is available during the most critical time of need.”

Read more on the .

When complete, UofL Hospital will offer more than 360 beds, each in a private room, 20 operating rooms, plus a new 24-bed observation unit. Alongside the increased clinical space, the expansion will include an enhanced visitor experience with a new lobby and waiting area, along with updates to the gift shop and coffee shop.

“This new tower is a demonstration of UofL Health’s commitment to transform the health of all the communities we serve, here in Louisville and across the Commonwealth,“ said Tom Miller, UofL Health CEO. “UofL Hospital is one of the anchors in our downtown academic medical center campus, a hub of specialized care, progressive academic research and innovative treatments. We are investing here to meet demand and increase access everywhere.”

The hospital expansion also will lead to an expansion of the UofL Health team, with approximately 325 new jobs being created. Positions will include nurses, plus clinical and non-clinical support. New hires and their dependents are immediately eligible for , funded by UofL Health, to the University of Louisville.

“By expanding UofL Hospital to meet today’s medical needs, we are also investing to grow the physicians, nurses and other allied health professionals of tomorrow,” said Lori Gonzalez, University of Louisville interim president. “Together, with UofL Health, our blended mission of healing, teaching and research is building a stronger health care workforce and healthier future for Kentucky.”

UofL Hospital is the primary teaching and research hospital for UofL Health, affiliated with the University of Louisville. Its Level 1 Trauma Center, one of only two adult trauma centers in the state, includes a comprehensive burn unit and admits more than 3,500 patients each year. The hospital is home to Kentucky’s first Comprehensive Stroke Center and includes UofL Health – . The cancer center specializes in treating cancers of the nervous system, breast, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems, head and neck, lungs and skin.

According to the ASHE, an association devoted to professionals who design, build, maintain and operate hospitals and other health care facilities, there are nearly 1,700 individual teaching hospitals in the United States.��Of these, roughly 300 are considered major teaching hospitals, including UofL Health.

“Academic medical centers offer significant advantages, especially in complex cases,” said Jason Smith, UofL Health chief medical officer. “The treatments of tomorrow are available today at UofL Health with the collective wisdom of expert researchers and clinicians. The new tower allows us to make that care available to more patients.”

The hospital is licensed to operate up to 404 beds, but the existing facility limited operating capacity to 340 over the past several years. The combined impact of the additional beds and the observation unit creates room for nearly 50 more patients and reduces wait times as patients transition between different levels of care. The seven-story tower expansion will also include the infrastructure to accommodate two more floors for future growth.

The investments at UofL Hospital are part of an overall commitment to increase access to care in the region, particularly in federally medically underserved areas (MUAs). Over the past two years, UofL Health has opened five Urgent Care Plus locations, added two new locations for the Brown Cancer Center and recruited more than 140 new physicians. Two of the urgent cares, a cancer center location and more than 100 physicians are specifically located to serve people living in MUAs.

More than 1.5 million patients seek care through UofL Health each year, with patients from each of Kentucky’s 120 counties and southern Indiana.

With construction now underway, the tower is expected to open to its first patients in early 2024.��