Jason Rounds named new president of CHRISTUS
CHRISTUS Health announced today that Jason Rounds has been selected as the new president of CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System. Rounds has been serving as interim president since September when former president/CEO Chris Karam relocated to Alexandria, La. to serve in a different position within the CHRISTUS system.
Rounds is excited for the opportunity.
“I am grateful to be afforded the opportunity to continue to support our mission in this region in my new role,” Rounds said. “For 22 years Chris Karam served as an outstanding leader for our health system and he was a strong mentor who demonstrated tremendous dedication to a mission that makes a difference for the people of our community every day. My charge is to ensure … St. Michael continues to serve this community with the same high quality and service that has been our tradition for over 100 years.”
Rounds said his goals for the hospital are to make sure they keep offering cutting-edge technology and
innovative treatments while providing the highest quality of care.
“We want to make sure our investments are appropriate for where health care is going. We want to provide the highest quality of care at the best cost possible which is a substantial challenge,” he said.
Making sure they can recruit the best health care professionals for the community is another area of focus.
“The physicians here are outstanding and we’re focused on making sure we can attract the best and brightest now and in the future. That is really becoming a challenge as we are competing with other markets with limited resources,” he said. “We’re really focused on what does the future look like. How is the community accessing health care, not just in the hospital but … the whole continuum.”
People can expect the same high quality of care to continue at St. Michael.
“CHRISTUS ST. Michael has been in the community more than 100 years and really represents health care for the community,” he said. “My predecessors have done exceedingly well over the years … in really creating a healing environment on our campus. … It’s an environment of peace and serenity that helps with the healing process.”
Rounds brings extensive experience in hospital operations and operational efficiencies, strategic planning, third-party payer and provider contracting, health care finance, integrated delivery systems and physician relations.
“Jason has been instrumental in carrying out our mission in Texarkana and the Northeast Texas region, and we are thrilled to have him in place leading CHRISTUS St. Michael,” said Chris Glenney, group operations CHRISTUS Health CEO/CHRISTUS Health Northeast Texas. “He has supported key health initiatives that are vital to the communities we serve in the Texarkana, Atlanta and surrounding region and all the patients who depend on us to deliver an outstanding experience and life-saving care.”
Rounds came to St. Michael in 2011 from CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier Health System, where he had served as regional vice president and administrator of CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center since 2007. He has more than 30 years of experience in health care in New Mexico, East Texas and Louisiana in finance and accounting, managed care contracting and negotiation, business planning, physician relations and administration and operations. His leadership has been vital in St. Michael’s high patient and associate satisfaction and its operational and financial success.
A native of Galveston, Rounds earned his Bachelor of Science in Health Care Sciences with a Diploma of Health Care Administration from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, School of Allied Health Sciences. He completed his Master of Business Administration at Centenary College, Frost School of Business, Shreveport, La.
He and his wife, Becky, live in Texarkana with their twin daughters, Cate and Janie, age 15.