HOUSTON – Memorial Hermann Health System has announced the appointment of System Chief Operating Officer Charles "Chuck" D. Stokes to president and CEO of Memorial Hermann.
Stokes had been serving as interim president and CEO in addition to his role as executive vice president and chief operating officer, following the departure of Dr. Benjamin K. Chu. Memorial Hermann officials said Chu left the organization in June to pursue his passion for public and health policy.
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Stokes began his career as a registered nurse. Memorial Hermann officials said he has "nearly four decades of leadership experience and demonstrated success in fostering a culture of innovation and exceptional patient care experiences, with an emphasis on superior quality, safety and stellar operations."
"Chuck has proven himself to be an outstanding leader during the course of his remarkable career with our organization, working tirelessly to guide Memorial Hermann on its journey toward becoming a high-reliability organization with a strong focus on innovation and transformation," Memorial Hermann Board Chair Deborah M. Cannon said. "He has an unwavering commitment to our patients, medical staff and to Memorial Hermann, the latter of which has been instrumental in helping us transform our operational structure in order to meet the challenges and demands of a rapidly changing health care landscape."
Memorial Hermann officials said Stokes was responsible as COO for overseeing operations for the system, which has 17 hospitals, more than 200 outpatient clinics, 25,000 employees and 5,500 affiliated physicians.
"I am honored and humbled to work alongside our exceptional employees and talented medical staff as we fulfill our mission to advance the health of all Houstonians," Stokes said. "In its 110 years of faithfully serving this community, Memorial Hermann has grown to become a nationally recognized organization with an unrelenting focus on providing enhanced access to the safest, highest-quality care, all at an affordable cost."
Stokes, who was recently named among the top 25 COOs in health care by Modern Healthcare, also serves as the chairman of the board of governors for the American College of Healthcare Executives, Memorial Hermann officials said. Stokes served as ACHE faculty for 10 years prior to his appointment as chairman.
"At a time when our industry is facing unprecedented challenges with declining reimbursements and escalating costs, I have every confidence that Chuck has the experience and visionary leadership necessary to navigate our organization through this period of change and uncertainty," Cannon said.
Memorial Hermann officials said Stokes earned his Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, and a master’s degree in hospital and health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
