THA’s Newsmakers are leaders from THA-member hospitals and health systems making headlines in Texas health care. Please join in congratulating March’s Newsmakers:
Kerin Adelson, M.D.
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Kerin Adelson, M.D., has been named chief quality and value officer at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. In this role, Dr. Adelson will work closely with the institution’s chief administrative quality officer on medical practice quality improvement projects and value-based care initiatives. She joins MD Anderson from Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, Conn., where she had served as chief quality officer and deputy chief medical officer since 2014.
Esther Kwon
Methodist Hospital Texsan
Methodist Hospital Texsan has appointed Esther Kwon as chief executive officer. She joins Methodist Healthcare after serving as chief operating officer for St. David’s Medical Center in Austin. During her time as COO, Kwon led 16 hospital departments and services with more than 400 full-time employees and played an instrumental role in leading the hospital through multiple regulatory and emergency operation situations, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Kwon has held several other administrative roles throughout her career since 2012.
Christine Martinez, MSN, R.N.
Laredo Medical Center
Christine Martinez, MSN, R.N., has been appointed chief nursing officer of Laredo Medical Center. With more than 25 years in the field of nursing administration, Martinez has served in several key capacities at Laredo Medical Center since June 1998, including director of education, assistant chief nursing officer, chief quality officer and chief nursing officer. Martinez returned to Laredo Medical Center after four years as the cancer center director and quality director of another medical facility.
Dillon Rai
Medical City Arlington
Medical City Arlington has named Dillon Rai its next chief operating officer. Rai has served Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, Medical City’s parent organization, in various leadership roles since 2018. Most recently, he served HealthONE’s Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colo., as associate chief operating officer.
Michael Wiggins
Dell Children’s
Michael Wiggins has been named the new president of Austin-based Dell Children’s, part of St. Louis-based Ascension’s Texas operations. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. He also previously served as a senior vice president at Children’s Health System of Texas in Dallas, vice president of operations at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham and held multiple other leadership positions in children’s health care.
Russ Williams
Texas Children’s Hospital
Texas Children’s Hospital has named Russ Williams senior vice president of its North Austin campus, a $485 million women’s and children’s hospital set to open in February 2024. Williams has more than 20 years of experience in academic health care, having most recently served Seattle Children’s as senior vice president and chief operating officer.
Do you have a colleague making news in Texas health care? Send us a nomination for THA Newsmakers!