LEXINGTON — Dan Goulson, MD, who served as chief medical officer for Saint Joseph Health, died peacefully at his home in Lexington Dec. 18, 2025, two years after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor. He was 63.
Born April 11, 1962, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to Hilton and Jo Ann Pinnell Goulson, Dr. Goulson is survived by his wife Nancy; children Preston, Zach, Grace, and Anna; sister Amy (Benny) Cutrell; and umpteen members of his extended family.
When he stepped away from his work in 2025, Dr. Goulson shared that working as Saint Joseph Health’s chief medical officer was his “dream job.” He started his career as an anesthesiologist serving the Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico, from 1994 to 1997. He joined UK HealthCare in 1997 and served as the founding medical director for the Center for Advanced Surgery from 2003-2010. After leaving UK HealthCare, he joined Bon Secours Kentucky Health System at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital in Ashland, first as vice president for medical affairs, then as chief medical officer and system medical director for the Institute for Patient Safety until he left to join Saint Joseph Health in 2015.
Throughout medical school, Dr. Goulson volunteered as a paramedic with the South Orange Rescue Squad in Chapel Hill. It was during this time that Dr. Goulson met Nancy Z Storck, a research technician at a Duke University lab that was studying potential treatments for glioblastoma. First colleagues, then friends, then partners, Dan and Nancy were married on November 12, 1988, in Columbus, Ohio.
Dr. Goulson received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1985 and graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in 1989. He received further training at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics and the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in the United Kingdom; he completed residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in anesthesiology. He also earned a Certificate in Medical Management from the University of Kentucky in 2000.
While Dr. Goulson had a passion for clinical practice, he also believed in the power that a physician executive could have to make a difference for both patients and providers. As the physician leader of Saint Joseph Health, Dr. Goulson’s primary focus was on delivering the best patient care, and that showed in his leadership during the COVID pandemic. His connection with physicians and staff alike helped to maintain morale through difficult and challenging times.
Under his leadership, Saint Joseph Hospital was recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for the three straight years, and a Top 250 Hospitals since 2019.
Dr. Goulson devoted his time to health care beyond the hospital. As a volunteer member of the American Cancer Society’s advisory board in Kentucky, he helped further the organization’s mission to improve the lives of people with cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. Recognizing that changes in public policy can help improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, he served on the Kentucky Hospital Association’s Board of Directors and chaired the Physician Leadership Forum, which brings together chief medical officers to discuss issues that impact clinical care.
Dr. Goulson was an active member of Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church in Lexington, serving multiple stints as a member of the Session, including as head of the Personnel Committee. He was also active in the church’s mission work.
“For those who knew Dan, you’d be hard pressed to find a more caring and compassionate physician leader,” said Matt Grimshaw, MBA, market president, Saint Joseph Health. “He loved Saint Joseph Health. He loved being a part of the work we do each and every day. Our hearts are broken; we will miss him dearly.”