Memorial Hermann appoints Charles Stokes new president and CEO
In addition to serving as interim president and CEO, Stokes has long served as Memorial Hermann's system chief operating officer.
Memorial Hermann Health System has appointed Charles "Chuck" D. Stokes its new president and CEO effective immediately. He's been serving in that role in an interim capacity since the departure of Benjamin Chu, MD, who left in June to pursue his passion in public and health policy.
In addition to serving as interim president and CEO, Stokes has long served as Memorial Hermann's system chief operating officer. He began his career as a registered nurse nearly four decades ago.
As COO, Stokes was responsible for overseeing operations for the system, which has 17 hospitals, more than 200 outpatient clinics, 25,000 employees and 5,500 affiliated physicians. In a statement, Stokes said he was "honored and humbled" to continue his work for the system.
[Also: Memorial Hermann cuts 350 from workforce in second layoff this year]
Memorial Hermann has credited Stokes' leadership as being instrumental in helping Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital become the first organization and hospital in the Houston area to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest presidential honor for performance excellence. During his tenure, Memorial Hermann also has been perennially recognized as the country's most successful accountable care organization, underscoring the emphasis on innovative, evidence-based medicine designed to improve overall population health.
In addition to his current roles for the system, Stokes serves as the chairman of the board of governors for the American College of Healthcare Executives, an organization of more than 48,000 healthcare executives working together to improve care delivery and the education of healthcare leaders. Prior to his appointment as Chairman, Stokes served as ACHE faculty for 10 years.
Prior to joining Memorial Hermann as COO in 2008, Stokes served as president of North Mississippi Medical Center, a 650-bed tertiary hospital and a 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient. He previously served as COO for three other health systems and as vice president of operations for St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital/Texas Heart Institute in Houston.
Twitter: @JELagasse
