Deborah Gordon, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Legal Officer at Memorial Hermann Health System, was recently recognized by theHouston Business Journal as one of 2018’s “Women Who Mean Business.” In its third year, the awards program honors women who have excelled in career achievement, contribution to company and city success, community involvement and leadership.
Deborah is an extraordinarily capable and effective leader. While she is a highly skilled professional, it’s the way she combines her abilities with her passion to serve others that really sets her apart and makes her so deserving of this honor,” said Chuck Stokes, president and CEO of Memorial Hermann.
As Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) — a newly created role which Gordon is the very first to hold — she is responsible for guiding Memorial Hermann’s shift to a more consumer-centric model, while continuing to enhance operational efficiencies among the health system’s 275 care delivery sites, including 19 hospitals, the country’s busiest Level I trauma center, an academic medical center affiliated with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, and numerous specialty programs and services. Together with her team, Gordon also leads all the functional support for these massive capabilities allowing those in care delivery roles to dedicate their full efforts to improving patients’ health and wellness.
Deborah has unique insight into what works, from both a business and a legal perspective, and she dedicates an enormous amount of time and effort to advance our organization and ultimately the health of our community,” added Stokes.
Gordon’s responsibilities also include executive oversight of Memorial Hermann Community Benefit Corporation (CBC), which implements programs with other healthcare providers, government agencies, business leaders and community stakeholders to increase access to healthcare and improve the overall health of the community. Some of the programs include: Health Centers for Schools that offer access to primary medical, mental health and nutritional services to students; a mobile dental clinic that provides access to preventive and restorative dental services for uninsured and underinsured students; the nurse health line, which provides the Greater Houston area with free access to experienced, bilingual nurse operators, 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and mental health crisis clinics that provide psychiatric care for patients in an outpatient setting.
In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, Gordon is actively engaged in Women Leaders of Memorial Hermann, a program designed to inspire, engage and develop exceptional leaders by empowering them to reach their personal and professional best. The mission of the program is to build a strong network and a culture of excellence among women leaders that has a far reaching impact both within the organization as well as in the community.
Deborah’s dedication to mentorship and ‘paying it forward’ is both deeply appreciated and critically important to ensuring we are continuing to foster the robust talent we are so fortunate to have working at Memorial Hermann,” said Stokes.
TheHouston Business Journal received 200 nominations and honored a total of 57 women across nine categories, including energy, finance, healthcare, hospitality/retail, law, non-profit, professional services, real estate, technology/IT services, and “Women to Watch,” or those with less than 10 years in their industry. The honorees were recognized in a special section of the Houston Business Journal and at an awards reception on Oct. 18.
Read the’s Q&A with Gordon here.