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t m c » p u l s e | n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 18 18 My relationships with physicians might be a little different than somebody that just came up through a business track. I have a different dimension to that relationship with them by having that clinical background." A changing hospital landscape In addition to dealing with natural disasters, Stokes assumes his new role at a time when several institu- tions in the Texas Medical Center have seen turnover in top executives. Having worked as a hospital administrator for four decades, Stokes believes this is simply a sign of the times. Executive recruiting firms say this is one of the most volatile periods for leadership in general, especially at the CEO level, Stokes said. "If you look across the country, this is happening every single day," he said. According to recent studies, the average tenure for a hospital system CEO is between three and five years. Several factors have contributed to that, from financial pressures to strained relationships between medical staff and health system administrators, Stokes said. "The forecast is, it's not going to get better before it gets worse. It is the stress. These stresses are going to continue to be in the industry for quite a while," he said. Stokes gets a bird's-eye view of the industry as chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives; he hears from other health leaders about what's happening at nearly 5,000 hospitals across the country. Leaving a legacy Although Stokes' role as president and CEO of Memorial Hermann is just getting started, he knows where he wants it to go. "My legacy would be certainly in the area of quality and patient safety," he said. "High reliability has been a major focus of mine forever. We already have a national reputation as being one of the highest in reli- ability, quality and safety among health care systems in the country." Stokes also hopes to build a strong physician enter- prise, which involves being more aligned with physi- cians in terms of operations, risk and accountability. In addition, he would like to see Memorial Hermann collaborate with hospitals like Houston Methodist, Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center and Texas Children's, as well as the other health care systems in the city, to improve health care in the community. "We need to create an awareness about people liv- ing healthier lifestyles," Stokes said. "We need to work collaboratively to have people educate our community on how to take more personal accountability for their own health." Meanwhile, as Stokes is getting to know his new position, he still plans to carve out some time to relax. He has a fly fishing trip planned with his son in November. We need to create an awareness about people living healthier lifestyles. We need to work collaboratively to have people educate our community on how to take more personal accountability for their own health. Named a national Best Hospital in psychiatry 28 consecutive years We now have 2 locations with Outpatient Services to serve your mental health care needs. BELLAIRE—6565 West Loop South—Call 844-574-7465. Group therapy Psychological testing Screening for addictions Intensive outpatient services MAIN CAMPUS—12301 S. Main Street—Call 713-275-5140. 4½-day comprehensive assessments Autism assessments Medication management Genetic testing Brain stimulation treatments Treatments for trauma Both locations provide therapy for individuals, couples and families, including crisis counseling. MenningerClinic.com | Affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine & member in the Texas Medical Center Offering more outpatient services for your mental health needs Menninger Best Hospital ad for Nov TMC Pulse 10-2017.indd 1 10/4/2017 11:26:58 AM