UT Health Tyler and UT Health Quitman recognized for excellence

UT Health Tyler honored for most outstanding performance; UT Health Quitman’s Rob Terry awarded Chief Nursing Officer of the Year

From left, Marty Bonick, Ardent Health Services President and CEO; Donald Baker, UT Health East Texas Regional President; Lecia Bowman, UT Health Tyler Chief Nursing Officer; Glen Christenson, UT Health Tyler Chief Financial Officer; Dr. Tom Cummins, UT Health East Texas Chief Medical Officer; Tracy O’Daniel, Ardent Vice President Clinical Outcomes and High Reliability; Jimmy Clark, UT Health Tyler Vice President of Operations; Dr. Julie Philley, UT Tyler Executive Vice President of Health Affairs; Zach Dietze, UT Health Tyler CEO; Paula Anthony, UT Health East Texas Chief Strategy Officer.

Tyler (February 27, 2023) — UT Health Tyler has been recognized for excellence with the Ardent Cup, the highest honor awarded by Ardent Health Services. UT Health Quitman also received honors with Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) Rob Terry named CNO of the Year.

UT Health Tyler and Rob Terry were selected among other eligible hospitals and leaders within Ardent, which includes 30 hospitals and more than 200 sites of care. Ardent operates UT Health East Texas through a joint venture with The University of Texas System.

Presented annually, the Ardent Cup recognizes outstanding overall performance and an uncompromising commitment to excellence. Winners must demonstrate success in a variety of areas including clinical quality, patient satisfaction and employee engagement while meeting financial and operational benchmarks.

“In a year filled with challenges and opportunities to improve how we serve our community, our teams of nurses, medical providers and support staff have shined in how they carry out our mission,” said UT Health Tyler CEO Zach Dietze. “We are extremely proud to be awarded the Ardent Cup and could not be more grateful to our team members who made this possible.”

Each year, the CNO of the Year award recognizes an outstanding chief nursing officer who exhibits leadership in achieving clinical excellence while serving as a mentor and role model for nurses and other department managers.

“Rob’s approach to leadership is truly service-based in how he engages with our team members, patients and his colleagues,” said UT Health Quitman CEO Jared Smith. “Rob plays a key role in sustaining a high level of quality care and patient satisfaction at UT Health Quitman, and this award is a testament to his leadership and dedication to our teams and the patients we serve.

About UT Health East Texas

UT Health East Texas provides care to thousands of patients each year through an extensive regional network that includes 10 hospitals, more than 50 clinics, the Olympic Plaza Tower, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, regional home health services covering 41 counties, an EMS fleet of more than 50 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive seven-trauma center care network, including the region’s only Level 1 trauma facility.

As a partner with The University of Texas System, UT Health East Texas is uniquely positioned to provide patients with access to leading-edge research and clinical therapies while training and educating the next generation of physicians and other health professionals. The nationally recognized UT System also includes The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, as well as three other major university medical centers located throughout the state.