Broad retires from Memorial Hermann Northeast after 21 years
Tom Broad didn’t think he would live in Texas more than a few years when he moved to Kingwood from Kansas in 1994. Broad’s first day at his new job in marketing at Northeast Medical Center Hospital (now Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital) changed that expectation.
“The CEO of the hospital was teaching me how to pronounce Humble,” Broad recalled. “That first week I really had strong doubts.”
Broad stayed on the job but many other things changed since his first week 21 years ago.
The hospital got a new owner and a new name. Broad’s responsibilities changed. The Nebraska native learned to keep the “H” silent in Humble and his engaging personality and propensity for generosity turned him into a fixture in the Lake Houston community. He will soon retire on his own terms.
“I came thinking I was only going to be here a few years,” Broad said. “Then you realize what a great community Lake Houston is and how nice the people are here. People aren’t like this in other communities. I enjoyed the people and I enjoyed the job.”
Broad’s official last day as Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital Community Relations Manager was July 3. Though Broad, who turns 67 in October, will miss the work, he will miss his colleagues most.
“This is just an incredible group of people who work here,” Broad said. “I’ve worked in a lot of different places and I’ve never worked with a better group of people. That’s why I’ve stayed so long. I could have retired two years ago, but I couldn’t.”
“I’d like to thank Tom for his years of service to not just this hospital but to the greater Lake Houston community,” said Heath Rushing, Sr. Vice President and CEO at Memorial Hermann Northeast. “He embodies the spirit of Memorial Hermann Northeast and he has embraced his job with vigor and enthusiasm every day.”
Broad spearheaded Memorial Hermann Northeast community efforts like Project Mammogram, “In The Pink” luncheons and the Northeast Hospital Foundation Gala.
“These events always went smoothly because of Tom’s preparation and attention to all the details,” said Humble City Councilman and city liaison to Memorial Hermann Northeast Norman Funderburk, who worked closely with Broad on a multitude of projects. “Tom’s professionalism always made me extremely proud to have an association and be a part of anything we worked on.”