
Tommye Austin joined University Health System as senior vice president and chief nurse executive in 2017 with an extensive and impressive background in nursing and healthcare leadership throughout Texas.
That experience and success in improving patient care and operational performance, along with some impressive accomplishments since joining the Health System, led Modern Healthcare magazine to name her to the magazine’s 2018 list of Minority Executives to Watch. The program aims to raise awareness of the importance of diversity in healthcare leadership.
In selecting her, the magazine’s editors wrote: “Austin joined the San Antonio hospital in May 2017, but in that short period of time made significant differences in employee engagement and clinical care. She helped orchestrate response to the Sutherland Springs church shooting by instituting a new trauma protocol and was a leader on developing a new stroke tracer program.”
Dr. Austin, who holds a PhD in nursing, as well as master’s in nursing and master’s in business administration degrees, previously was chief nursing executive at Baptist Health System and regional chief nursing executive for Tenet Healthcare Corp. Before that, she served with Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston.
In a letter accompanying the award, Modern Healthcare editor Aurora Aguilar wrote that minorities represent only 11 percent of executives in the healthcare industry. “These leaders are leaving a lasting imprint on their communities and the industry as a whole,” she added.