DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) today announced that Houston Northwest Medical Center has appointed Linda Mercier, RN, MSN, as its chief executive officer. Mercier succeeds Drew Kahn as hospital CEO, who now serves as vice president of operations in Tenet’s Southern States Region, based at Tenet’s headquarters in Dallas, Texas.
Mercier has served as Houston Northwest’s chief operating officer since June 2006 and has held various positions at the hospital since 1982. As CEO, Mercier will oversee strategic, operational and clinical activities for the 430-bed acute care hospital located in Houston, Texas.
“Linda has a strong background in hospital and clinical operations, and displays a clear dedication to Houston Northwest Medical Center and its surrounding community,” said Robert L. Smith, senior vice president of operations for Tenet’s Central States Region. “We are confident in her leadership abilities and her passion to bring continued success to the hospital.”
Mercier has served in a variety of leadership roles during her tenure at Houston Northwest. As chief operating officer, Mercier helped the hospital increase its employee and physician satisfaction scores to the top 10 percent in the company and oversaw numerous expansion projects, including the dedicated pediatric unit and catheterization lab. Under her leadership, Houston Northwest was recognized as a Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery, Cardiac Care, Knee and Hip Replacement and Spine Surgery; a CIGNA Center of Excellence for Angioplasty and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery; and a Bariatric Center of Excellence from the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.
Mercier served as chief nursing officer of Houston Northwest from 1996 to 2004; during that time, she implemented a hospital-wide nursing council to improve communication and nursing morale. She has also helped to develop and sustain a strong affiliation with Lone Star Community College, as well as Texas Woman’s University. She was an integral part of the leadership team that led to Houston Northwest receiving Tenet’s prestigious Circle of Excellence award six times.
Mercier holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Molloy Catholic College and a master’s degree in women’s health care administration from the University of Texas Health Science Center. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Tenet Healthcare Corporation is a health care services company whose subsidiaries and affiliates own and operate acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and diagnostic imaging centers. Tenet’s hospitals and related health care facilities are committed to providing high quality care to patients in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.tenethealth.com.
Some of the statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on our current expectations and could be affected by numerous factors and are subject to various risks and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2009, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and periodic reports on Form 8-K. Do not rely on any forward-looking statement, as we cannot predict or control many of the factors that ultimately may affect our ability to achieve the results estimated. We make no promise to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise.
EDITOR’S NOTE: An electronic photograph of Linda Mercier is available by calling 469-893-2640.