Texas Children’s Hospital is pleased to announce the following organizational changes.
Dr. Lara S. Shekerdemian has been named Pediatrician-In-Chief at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“I could not be more pleased to announce Dr. Shekerdemian for this role, said Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO at Texas Children’s Hospital. “As a highly accomplished physician responsible for transformational change in both academic and clinical settings, she is a tremendous asset to our team.”
Dr. Shekerdemian succeeds Dr. Catherine Gordon in the role of Pediatrician In-Chief, bringing with her 23 years of experience in three continents, 11 of those at Texas Children’s where she has served as Chief of Critical Care.
Shekerdemian is also a tenured Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. During her tenure, she has been involved in every aspect of administration and led growth in all areas, especially clinically, expanding critical care services from 72 beds on one campus, to 172 over three campuses, most recently with the opening of the award-winning Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower. In addition to her M.D., she also holds a Master’s of Healthcare Administration and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“I am truly honored, and beyond excited to serve as Texas Children’s Pediatrician-In-Chief,” said Dr. Shekerdemian. “Since the day I walked in, over 11 years ago, I have felt a deep allegiance and commitment to the institution, to our workforce, and to our patients and their families. I truly cannot wait to see what we can accomplish, together as a team, in the months and years to come.”
The organization is also expanding its leadership team to include two new roles: Research-In-Chief and Community-In-Chief. These changes further the strategy and vision Wallace employed eight years ago, with the appointment of new In-Chief roles to manage hospital-based services.
“Leadership of an organization is the sum of three things: vision, structure and people. As we continue to expand it is critical to ensure that we have a proper and robust structure populated with the best people,” said Wallace. “That is why I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Huda Y. Zoghbi as our new Research-In-Chief and Dr. Jeffrey S. Shilt as our new Community-In-Chief.”
An internationally renowned physician-scientist, Zoghbi, a Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, founded the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children’s Hospital in 2010. Under her leadership, it is now a premiere destination for families with neurological concerns.
“I am honored and excited to help build disease-oriented research,” said Dr. Zoghbi. “I appreciate the confidence placed in me to assist in leading the cutting-edge research at Texas Children’s, which is so critical to not only the children and families in Texas, but around the world.”
Dr. Jeffrey S. Shilt is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine who also has served as Chief of Community Surgery for the last 3 years. Shilt currently serves as Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, Medical Director of the Motion Analysis & Human Performance Lab, Pediatric Sports Medicine Liaison to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for United States cycling.
During his tenure at Texas Children’s Hospital, Dr. Shilt was instrumental in leading the operational activation of Texas Children’s Hospital’s Woodlands location and has successfully led multiple initiatives to foster and maintain key community partnerships.
“It has been an extraordinary privilege to be a part of Texas Children’s Hospital’s incredible growth and expansion,” said Dr. Shilt. “I could not be more excited about building upon our promise to deliver the highest quality of care, close to home at our community locations. I remain committed to uphold the excellence our patients expect from Texas Children’s in this new role.”
“I’m confident that this new structure will elevate Texas Children’s to heights it’s never before seen,” said Wallace. “These exemplary leaders will be instrumental in expanding our research enterprise and expand women’s services and pediatric care into the communities we serve. And those who will benefit most are patients.”
ABOUT TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Texas Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO for children; has the largest pediatric primary care network in the country, Texas Children’s Pediatrics; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that’s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Global Health program leads efforts that advance health care equity through innovative collaboration in care, education and research for underserved populations globally. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.
This press release was provided by Texas Children’s Hospital.