Sarah Gladson
Director of Marketing
Sarah is a nationally recognized marketing and communications executive with more than 25 years of experience leading high-impact strategic initiatives across healthcare, higher education, and mission-driven organizations. She has built a distinguished career revitalizing brands, driving sustainable growth, and developing high-performing teams that consistently exceed organizational goals.
Most recently, Sarah served as a senior marketing leader at Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) in Springfield, Illinois, where she developed and executed comprehensive marketing strategies for a 350+ provider enterprise.
Among her most notable achievements, she spearheaded a cardiovascular service line repositioning campaign that delivered patient growth and retention. She also launched a student enrollment growth strategy for St. John’s College of Nursing that modernized the institution’s brand while honoring its heritage and engaging faculty and students as brand ambassadors.
Prior to HSHS, Sarah spent over a decade at Saint Louis University as Director of Marketing, Communications and Physician Liaison for the School of Medicine and SLUCare Physician Group. During her tenure, she delivered consistent year-over-year growth through integrated marketing plans, led a comprehensive digital strategy that quadrupled web traffic in three years, and guided the organization through the communications challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sarah holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Eastern Illinois University and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Saint Louis University. Her academic pursuits deepen and inform her professional practice, and she has shared her expertise as an Adjunct Professor and guest lecturer at SLU’s College of Public Health and Chaifetz School of Business, as well as at national conferences hosted by the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD), the Hospital Marketing National Conference, and the Missouri Hospital Association.
Beyond her professional work, Sarah is an engaged community member. She serves as a foster parent for H2H Canine Rescue and has contributed to civic life through speaking engagements and board service.