Memorial Hermann names CEO
UTMB president to succeed retiring chief in September
Dr. David Callender, president of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston for more than a decade, will take the reins at Memorial Hermann Health System on Sept. 1, becoming its new president and CEO.
Callender, a physician and health care executive with deep Texas roots, will succeed Charles “Chuck” Stokes, who announced his retirement in February. Stokes served as the system’s chief operating office for nearly a decade before he became CEO in June 2017.
“We are excited to have Dr. Callender join Memorial Hermann as we believe he is the perfect successor to Chuck,” Deborah Cannon, chair of the Memorial Hermann Board, said in a statement Thursday. She praised his “sharp business acumen and the stellar leadership skills necessary to write the next chapter of Memorial Hermann history.”
Callender is credited with helping shepherd the massive $1 billion reconstruction of the UTMB campus after Hurricane Ike decimated it in 2008. The storm’s damage and its aftermath plunged UTMB’s finances into the red and prompted the layoffs of nearly 3,000 workers. At the time, there was even talk of moving the hospital off the island, a plan later scrapped.
“I’ve long admired David’s leadership style and his accomplishments,” Stokes said in a statement about his successor. “As Memorial Hermann continues its focus on expanding care access and transforming our operational structure to address the new demands of health care, Dr. Callender has an ideal combina
tion of experience and expertise to position us for future success.”
Callender, a native of Wichita Falls, has been president of UTMB since 2007. He received his medical degree and residency training at Baylor College of Medicine, then completed an oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center and an MBA at the University of Houston. He went on to work at MD Anderson for more than 20 years, ultimate rising to become its chief operating officer. He also served as CEO and associate vice chancellor for UCLA Health from 2004 to 2007 before moving to the top job at UTMB.
He was tapped as Memorial Herman’s leader following a nationwide search.
“I have been inspired by Memorial Hermann’s efforts to bring value-based, more personalized care to our communities, and I’m excited and honored to now help lead the way as we work to extend those efforts by delivering exceptional patient experiences and improving outcomes for all,” Callender said in a statement.
Stokes’ departure caps a 40year career that began as a registered nurse, experience he credits with helping him “relate to the patient in the bed.” He became Memorial Hermann’s chief operating officer in 2008.
Prior to joining Memorial Hermann in 2008, Stokes served as president of North Mississippi Medical Center, a 650-bed acutecare hospital; as a chief operating officer for three other health systems; and as vice president of operations for the Texas Heart Institute. He said he will continue on at Memorial Hermann to help Callender’s transition before retiring at year’s end.
In an announcement to UTMB employees on Thursday, Callender said, “Serving as your president for the past 12 years has been an extraordinary privilege. During phases of great opportunity as well as cycles of significant challenge, UTMB has continued to grow and prosper because of the dedication and commitment of this UTMB family. I am incredibly proud of this institution, its people, its remarkable history and the impressive slate of achievements you’ve made possible during my tenure here.”
An interim replacement at UTMB has not been named.