Sponsored by Envision Healthcare, THA’s Newsmakers are hospital executives and leaders from THA-member hospitals and health systems that are making headlines in Texas health care. Please join us in congratulating our Newsmakers:
April 2025 Newsmakers
Mihaela Bujoi, MD
St. David’s Round Rock
St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center has appointed Mihaela Bujoi, MD, as its chief medical officer. Dr. Bujoi most recently served as assistant chief medical officer at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. Prior to this role, she held various medical director roles at Albuquerque, N.M.-based Presbyterian Health System. St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center is a 209-bed acute care hospital owned by Austin, Texas-based St. David’s HealthCare.
Kelly Jo Golson
Texas Children’s Hospital
Kelly Jo Golson has been named Texas Children’s new EVP and chief brand & external affairs officer. In this role, Golson will lead brand, marketing, communications, public relations, government affairs and philanthropy across the system. A nationally recognized leader, she is known for building exceptional cultures and developing high-performing teams. With more than 30 years of experience spanning marketing, communications, government affairs, philanthropy and consumer engagement, she brings bold vision and a people-first approach to the system’s mission.
Laura Hochwalt
St. David’s HealthCare and HCA Healthcare Central and West Texas Division
St. David’s HealthCare has named Laura Hochwalt as the new vice president of emergency services for St. David’s HealthCare and HCA Healthcare’s Central and West Texas Division. HCA Healthcare is St. David’s HealthCare’s national hospital operating partner. As vice president of emergency services, Hochwalt will lead operational oversight, planning and development for the emergency department service line focusing on quality and delivery of services. Hochwalt brings more than 20 years of emergency department experience, including more than a decade in leadership, to this role. A registered nurse, she most recently served as senior director of emergency services at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, a facility that has 241,000 emergency department visits each year.
Corey Jackson, JD, SPHR, CCP, CBP
Texas Children’s Hospital
Corey Jackson, JD, SPHR, CCP, CBP joins Texas Children’s as the chief human resources officer, overseeing all HR functions across the Texas Children’s enterprise. He is a strategic leader with deep expertise in attracting, developing and retaining top talent. His career spans health care, government, law, and athletics—with one common thread: creating opportunities that help people lead better lives.
Kelton Jeffery
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman
Kelton Jeffery has been named professional support services officer at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman, joining the hospital’s executive leadership team. In this role, Jeffery provides strategic oversight of hospital operations, leading initiatives that enhance operational performance, align services with community needs, and support long-term growth. He previously served as director of surgical programs at Children’s Health in Plano, where he was instrumental in expanding surgical services, improving patient access, and strengthening inpatient care delivery across the North Texas region.
John McDonald
Peterson Health
The Peterson Health Board of Directors has announced that John McDonald, FACHE, will assume the role of president and CEO. A native Texan, McDonald started his health care career as a patient care technician in the Houston Methodist Hospital System and then spent six years with Houston Methodist leaving as director of advanced wound care. He then moved on to Texas Children’s Hospital as the practice administrator for their pulmonary medicine department. In 2013, John accepted the chief operating officer role at Universal Health Services in Amarillo where he led several improvement initiatives. He joined HCA Healthcare in 2015 and served as chief operating officer at Corpus Christi Medical Center. From there, HCA promoted him to serve in their Missouri market as CEO at Lee’s Summit Medical Center and most recently as CEO of Centerpoint Medical Center.
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March 2025 Newsmakers
Nancy Doolittle
UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital
UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital recently opened under the leadership of Chief Nursing Officer Nancy Doolittle, DNP, MBA, RN, NE-BC. UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research is the city’s newest hospital, located in the medical center, with 144 private, licensed beds. The hospital’s focus is to provide hope and healing through advanced procedures and precision cancer therapies grounded in innovative research for the residents of South Texas. The hospital features state-of-the-art technology, including utilizing robots to assist with routine chores and delivering innovative patient care through virtual nursing. Dr. Doolittle is responsible for the hospital’s nursing and clinical departments, establishing and upholding quality standards, fostering cooperative working relationships and developing policies and procedures in accordance with all regulatory requirements. Prior to being named as the CNO, Dr. Doolittle has held nursing leadership positions in Georgia and Ohio.
Michael Herron
Methodist Hospital
Michael Herron was named CFO of Methodist Hospital in San Antonio. The hospital is part of San Antonio-based Methodist Healthcare System, a 50/50 partnership between Methodist Healthcare Ministries and Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare. Herron has served in a number of senior finance leadership roles across HCA Healthcare since joining the organization in 2001. Prior to his new role, Herron served as CFO of Salt Lake City-based St. Mark’s Hospital and as CFO of Las Vegas-based MountainView hospital and Southern Hills Hospital.
Tiffany Northern
Texas Health Hospital Frisco
Arlington-based Texas Health Resources has appointed Tiffany Northern president of Texas Health Hospital Frisco. Northern has served as the hospital’s interim president since December. She joined Texas Health Resources in 2021 as chief operating officer of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. She joined the health system from MedStar Health in Washington, D.C., where she served as the vice president of operations for seven years. Prior to that role, Northern served as an associate chief operating officer for HCA Healthcare in Las Vegas.
Dr. Josh Reed
Hendrick Health
Hendrick Health has named Dr. Josh Reed as the health care system’s first assistant chief medical information officer (ACMIO). In the newly created ACMIO role, Dr. Reed will serve as a bridge between medical staff, administration and IT to promote best practices and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. Dr. Reed joined the Hendrick Health medical staff in 2014, specializing in supportive and palliative care. Since 2018, he has been the physician advisor for case management at Hendrick Health. Dr. Reed has repeatedly demonstrated his information technologies acumen by serving on the Clinical IT Steering Committee since 2014 and as an IT consultant.
Joyce Soule, D.N.P.
St. David’s HealthCare
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare has appointed Joyce Soule, DNP, RN, as chief nursing executive of its Central and West Texas division and Austin, Texas-based St. David’s HealthCare. In this role, Dr. Soule will oversee nursing practice and operations for St. David’s HealthCare, which includes nine hospitals and more than 180 care sites. She brings more than 30 years of experience in nursing leadership and hospital operations to this role. For the past seven years, Dr. Soule served as senior vice president and chief nursing executive at Medical City Dallas, a 1,000-bed complex comprised of several hospitals within the campus. Prior to that, she served as chief nursing officer at several hospitals across the country, including Wesley Healthcare in Wichita, Kan., and Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, Ga.
Nathan Worley
The Hospitals of Providence-Transmountain Campus
Nathan Worley has been named CEO of The Hospitals of Providence-Transmountain Campus in El Paso, Texas, part of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare. Worley enters the role with his expertise in introducing services to improve quality of care and accessibility. Most recently, Worley served as president and chief administrative officer of Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix, also part of Tenet Healthcare. The Hospitals of Providence-Transmountain Campus is a 106-bed hospital.
February 2025 Newsmakers
Julie Balluck
Texas Health Resources
Texas Health Resources has named Julie Balluck to be the health system’s new chief nurse executive. She assumes the role after having served for the past five years as chief nursing officer at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford. As chief nurse executive, Balluck will oversee all nursing practice at the system, and work closely with Andrew Masica, M.D., MSCI, chief medical officer, and channel leaders across the organization to provide safe, reliable care to patients across the system.
Patricia Boeckmann
Titus Regional Medical Center
Titus County Hospital District Board of Managers has announced the promotion of Patricia Boeckmann to CEO of Titus Regional Medical Center (TRMC). Boeckmann, who has served as the chief operating officer and chief administrative officer of The Clinics of Titus since joining the health system in 2016, brings a wealth of clinical and leadership experience to her new role. She began her health care career as an RN in a rural hospital in North Dakota, with much of her clinical practice occurring in the operating room. Her experience, both at the bedside and as a health care executive, allows her to lead with knowledge and heart.
Cory Edmondson, FACHE
United Regional Health Care System
United Regional Health Care System has welcomed Cory Edmondson, MBA, FACHE, as its new president and CEO. Edmondson has over 30 years of experience in the health care industry. He previously served as president & CEO of Peterson Health in Kerrville, which became known as the regional leader for health care under his leadership. As he assumes his new role at United Regional, Edmondson’s primary goals center around strengthening the hospital’s commitment to excellence and deepening connections within the community to ensure evolving health care needs are met.
Ron Holder, FACHE
Hendrick Health
Hendrick Health has announced Ron Holder, MHA, FACMPE, FACHE as the new chief administrative officer for Hendrick Clinic and Hendrick Anesthesia Network. Holder has 29 years of medical practice leadership experience, most recently at the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) in Denver, where he served as chief operating officer for five years. His achievements at MGMA include driving revenue growth and launching multiple new products to support MGMA’s 60,000 members across 15,000 health care organizations. During his tenure, he was recognized in 2021 by Denver Business Journals one of the top C-suite executives in the Denver metropolitan area. Holder’s extensive experience in medical practices and hospital operations also includes 15 years at Baylor Scott & White Health in Temple.
Adam Messer
Dell Children’s Medical Center
Ascension Texas has appointed Adam Messer, MPH, as president of Dell Children’s, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center and Dell Children’s Medical Center North Campus. Previously, Messer led Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, a facility with 240 licensed beds, 1,370 employees, 53,000 annual emergency department visits, 13,000 surgeries, and 11,000 admissions along with 193 resident and fellow physicians. With Dell Seton as the primary teaching hospital for Dell Medical School, Messer was responsible for the graduate medical education programs for training nearly 450 resident and fellow physicians. During his tenure, Dell Seton also expanded by 30 new beds and opened the region’s only neuro-critical care unit in Central Texas. Before joining Ascension Texas, Messer served as the enterprise vice president of service lines for Jefferson Health.
January 2025 Newsmakers
Elias Armendariz
HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland
HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division has announced the promotion of Elias Armendariz to chief executive officer of HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland. Armendariz has served as the chief operating officer for HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake since August 2020. Additionally, he has served as interim chief executive officer of HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland, a campus of HCA Houston Clear Lake, since April 2024. During his tenure at Clear Lake, Armendariz championed efforts for growth in key service lines such as cardiology, neuroscience and trauma services. Under his leadership, the facility received approval for an upcoming master campus expansion plan in excess of $100 million in capital improvements.
Celestina Bryson
Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant
Methodist Hospital Specialty and Transplant has appointed Celestina (Celeste) Bryson as the new chief nursing officer (CNO). She most recently served as the assistant chief nursing officer at Methodist Hospital. Bryson joined Methodist Healthcare in 2017, where she led a range of service lines, including critical care, progressive care, medicine, and neurology. She also served two years as the chair of the Leadership Advisory Council for the San Antonio Chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Bryson comes with 29 years of experience in critical care nursing and more than a decade of senior leadership expertise. Her extensive background also includes a distinguished 23-year career in the U.S. Army, where she served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 7454th Army Reserve Medical Battalion, including her role as Assistant Chief Nurse.
Guy Cayo
UT Health Quitman
Guy B. Cayo has been named chief executive officer for UT Health Quitman. Cayo was previously serving on interim basis as administrator for UT Health Quitman since September while retaining his role as CEO at UT Health Pittsburg. He is expanding his leadership responsibilities by now serving as CEO of both hospitals. In this new role, Cayo will oversee the strategic direction of both facilities, ensuring alignment in providing exceptional health care and fostering a collaborative culture that benefits both hospitals and the communities they serve. Before assuming the Pittsburg CEO position in March 2021, Cayo spent the majority of his career at Kindred Hospital systems.
James Vincent Cortez, M.D.
Laredo Medical Center
James Vincent Cortez, M.D., has been elected chief of staff for Laredo Medical Center. Dr. Cortez is a diagnostic radiologist specialist and has been part of the LMC medical staff since 2018. In his role as chief of staff, Dr. Cortez serves as chairman of the hospital’s Medical Executive Committee (MEC), presides over all meetings of the medical staff, advises the hospital administration and the MEC on matters impacting patient care, and serves as spokesperson for the medical staff.
Amica Ghebremariam
HCA Houston Healthcare West
HCA Houston Healthcare West recently announced Amica Ghebremariam as the hospital’s new chief operating officer. Ghebremariam joined HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood in November 2021 and made significant contributions to the success and growth of the hospital. During her tenure, Ghebremariam oversaw critical departments such as Plant Operations, Cardiac Cath Lab and Inpatient Rehabilitation. Her leadership and business development strategies resulted in growth in key service lines, including robotic and bariatric surgery, as well as enhanced operational efficiency throughout the organization. Among her many notable accomplishments, Ghebremariam led numerous capital projects including a successful expansion of HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood’s surgical facilities. She also was a key driver in improving employee engagement scores and patient care metrics, demonstrating her commitment to operational excellence and community service.
Joe Hernandez
Valley Regional Medical Center
HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division has announced the appointment of Joe Hernandez as chief executive officer of Valley Regional Medical Center. A Rio Grande Valley native, Hernandez first joined HCA Healthcare in May 2017 as chief financial officer of Valley Regional Medical Center. He was named chief financial officer at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in June 2020. Hernandez has served as the market chief financial officer and chief staffing officer for HCA Healthcare Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare in El Paso since April 2023. During his time at Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare, Hernandez was instrumental in restructuring the finance operations of the market. Hernandez also improved length of stay management, supported throughput efficiency measures, and assisted in long-term planning for the El Paso health care system.
Malik Merchant, MD
St. David’s South Austin Medical Center
Dr. Malik Merchant, M.D., has been named chief medical officer of St. David’s South Austin Medical Center. Dr. Merchant previously served as chief medical officer for Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso. During his time at Del Sol Medical Center, Dr. Merchant led the facility’s Joint Commission survey, streamlined operations and improved facility throughput. He also provided executive support to the hospital’s Graduate Medical Education and Level II trauma programs. Prior to his work at Del Sol Medical Center, Dr. Merchant was part of the leadership team at Austin Diagnostic Clinic, serving as section chief of hospitalists and post-acute care, as well as a consultant for hospital-based programs.
Robert Sabina
HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center
HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division has announced the appointment of Robert Sabina as chief executive officer of HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center. An accomplished health care executive, Sabina has 15 years of health care leadership experience in the greater Houston market. He first joined HCA Healthcare in August 2017 as assistant vice president of strategic planning for Gulf Coast Division. He was named chief operating officer at HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball in July 2019 and most recently served as chief operating officer of HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe since September 2021. During his time at HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, Sabina led the programmatic build of the hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Program and the operational improvement of surgical services that resulted in a marked increase in elective cases and robotic-assisted procedures. With a demonstrated ability to forge strong relationships, Sabina implemented department-specific engagement plans that increased colleague engagement across multiple departments.
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