Congratulations to THA’s December Newsmakers

Sponsored by In-Flow Executives, THA’s Newsmakers highlights leaders from THA member hospitals and health systems making headlines in Texas health care. Please join in congratulating our December Newsmakers:

Dr. Jenny Chang
Houston Methodist

After a national search, Dr. Jenny Chang has been selected to be the next president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute and executive vice president and chief academic officer at Houston Methodist. Dr. Chang, the Emily Herrmann Presidential Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research, is an accomplished clinician-scientist and a remarkable leader who has transformed our cancer center since joining in 2010. As executive director of the Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center, she leads a team of more than 150 physicians and 58 researchers, many of whom she helped recruit. Through her work and leadership, our cancer center’s national profile went from unranked to No. 18 in U.S. News & World Report’s cancer rankings.

Mike Easley - Texas Hospital Association

Mike Easley
Stephens Memorial Hospital

Mike Easley has been named interim CEO of Stephens Memorial Hospital in Breckenridge, Tex. Mike Easley was officially appointed into the role during a meeting of the SMH Board of Directors as the search continues to find a permanent replacement for the position. Easley is the former vice president of hospital operations for Preferred Management Corporation and a former board member of the National Rural Health Association, Texas Hospital Insurance Exchange and Texas Rural Health Association, where he also served as president of the board.

Michael S. Lawson
St. Luke’s Health

St. Luke’s Health, a member of CommonSpirit Health, has named Michael S. Lawson, MBA, Houston Market President. In this role Lawson will provide administrative leadership and direction for all operations and business entities of St. Luke’s eight hospitals in Greater Houston, including Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, the system’s flagship academic medical institution in the Texas Medical Center. Lawson served since 2009 in various capacities at OhioHealth System, most recently as President of OhioHealth’s Grant Medical Center hospital. OhioHealth is an integrated $7 billion hospital health care delivery system with a health plan and more than 320,000 covered individuals. Before joining OhioHealth Michael spent 24 years with Cleveland Clinic in multiple leadership roles.

Toya White
Texas Health Forney

Toya White, president and chief nursing officer at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman, has been named president of Texas Health Forney. White has served as a leader at Texas Health Kaufman for three years. In that time, she helped the hospital obtain American Nurse Credentialing Center Pathway to Excellence redesignation, maintained staff and physician engagement, and expanded services. White will remain president and CNO while beginning her new role as president at Forney. Construction plans for the Forney hospital were announced in August and the new facility is expected to open in 2027.

Do you have a colleague making news in Texas health care? Send us a nomination for THA Newsmakers!