Houston, TX – HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake and HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland are pleased to announce the appointment of Patty Howard, MSN, RN, NEA-BC as chief nursing officer (CNO) for both hospitals and affiliated sites of care. Howard is a proven leader in engagement and quality and brings 23 years of nursing experience to her new role, effective August 21, 2023.
Howard most recently served as vice president of nursing operations for HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division, where she supported the division facility CNOs with aspects of the nursing agenda, throughput and operations and corporate project implementations.
She began her nursing career in 1999 at Bayshore Medical Center (now HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast) after attaining her associate’s degree from San Jacinto College Central in Pasadena, Texas. While working, she continued her education and obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She later transferred to Mainland Medical Center (now HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland), where she started her nursing leadership career and helped lead the facility to obtain its primary stroke certification as well as Level IV trauma designation.
Howard received her master’s in nursing leadership and management from Western Governors University in 2014 and was accepted into the HCA Healthcare CNO development program. The following year, she became assistant CNO at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake and was later named CNO at HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland. In 2017, Howard was promoted to CNO at HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, where her focus on growing the nursing culture led to company-leading engagement rankings and quality excellence. Howard joined HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood as CNO in 2020. She led them through the pandemic while building a solid nursing culture that supported the attainment of Level II trauma designation and Level III maternal and neonatal designations.
“We are excited to welcome Patty back to our Clear Lake and Mainland family,” said Todd Caliva, CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake. “She brings a wealth of clinical and leadership experience from her time at facilities across our division.”
“We are thrilled to have Patty on board and look forward to utilizing her knowledge to help us continue to deliver effective and innovative patient-centered care,” said Jim Russell, CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland.