Houston Methodist, in partnership with Korn Ferry, invites nominations and expressions of interest for the position of the Inaugural Director of the Houston Methodist Quality, Safety and Well-Being Institute.

Houston Methodist Hospital was founded in 1919 as a 30-bed hospital near downtown Houston. In 1951, the flagship hospital moved to its current location within the Texas Medical Center (TMC) and has been experiencing growth ever since. Houston Methodist has a reputation for outstanding care, treatments and research, attracting patients from Texas, the nation and around the world. For more than 100 years, Houston Methodist has provided the best — and safest — clinical care, advanced technology and patient experience. That is its promise of leading medicine. Recognizing its dedication to excellence, U.S. News & World Report has named Houston Methodist Hospital the Best Hospital in Texas for 13 years in a row and recognized it on the Honor Roll eight times.

The newly established Quality, Safety and Well-Being Institute represents a bold, enterprise-wide commitment to advancing the safest and most exceptional care in the nation. Envisioned as a dynamic hub for research, education, and innovation, the Institute will bridge frontline clinical excellence with academic leadership and national influence in healthcare quality, safety and well-being.

Houston Methodist has long been recognized for its leadership in patient safety and quality. All seven acute care hospitals earned “A” grades from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade and were named top performers in the 2024 Vizient Quality Leadership Ranking—underscoring the system’s dedication to safety, transparency, and continuous improvement. The Director will shape and launch this transformative initiative, defining its structure, scope, and long-term sustainability. This leader will collaborate with institutional leaders to build a robust research portfolio in quality, safety, well-being and high-value care, while fostering interdisciplinary scholarship and innovation in healthcare delivery science.

This is a rare opportunity to elevate Houston Methodist’s clinical excellence into a nationally recognized academic and research enterprise. The Director will mentor emerging investigators, secure extramural funding, and represent the Institute on national and international stages. By integrating programs in process improvement, engineering, and simulation, the Institute will serve as a catalyst for innovation across the system.

The ideal candidate will be a visionary leader with a strong academic background and a passion for transforming healthcare quality and safety; and will have earned an MD or other Terminal degree (e.g., PhD, DrPH) in a related field such as healthcare quality, patient safety, clinician well-being, health services research, public health, or implementation science.

Korn Ferry is assisting Houston Methodist with this important recruitment. Applications should include a detailed curriculum vitae and a letter of interest. To ensure full consideration, inquiries, nominations, and applications should be submitted electronically, in confidence, to lila.wojnarowicz@kornferry.com.