Charles D. (Chuck) Stokes, FACHE is founding partner at Relia Healthcare Advisors, former president and CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, and a Past Chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is the 2021 recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executive's Gold Medal Award, which is ACHE’s highest honor, is bestowed on outstanding leaders who have made significant contributions to the healthcare field throughout their service career. The purpose of the award is to identify ACHE Fellows who best exemplify leadership at the organizational, local/state/provincial and national levels.
Board certified in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow, Mr. Stokes has served as an ACHE faculty member at Congress and for other ACHE educational programs for 10 years. Mr. Stokes has been in his current position since July 2017. Prior to that, he served as executive vice president and COO from 2008 to 2017. Previously, he served as president of North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo, from 2005 to 2008. From 1999 to 2005 he served as system executive vice president, COO and chief nurse executive of Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital System, and from 1996 to 1999 he served as executive vice president and system operations officer of St. Vincent Health System in Little Rock, Ark. Prior to that, Mr. Stokes served in several positions at Schumpert Health System in Shreveport, La., including system senior vice president and COO from 1994 to 1996; interim CEO of Schumpert Medical Center from 1993 to 1994; and COO of Schumpert Medical Center from 1989 to 1993.
From 1986 to 1989 he served as vice president of medical and professional services at St. Luke's Episcopal/Texas Heart Institute/Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. He served in various executive roles at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson from 1984 to 1986, including acting associate hospital director from 1985 to 1986; assistant hospital director in 1985; and diagnosis related group coordinator from 1984 to 1985. Mr. Stokes also served as assistant director of nursing, critical care, from 1978 to 1981. He also served as hospital administrator for emergency medical services at Charity Hospital in New Orleans from 1982 to 1984.
In addition to his service to ACHE, Mr. Stokes serves on the Houston Holocaust Museum board and on the board of the Children's Defense Fund. Under Stokes' leadership, North Mississippi Medical Center and Memorial Hermann's Sugar Land Hospital became Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipients in 2006 and 2016 respectively. Mr. Stokes serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Mr. Stokes received a Master of Science degree in hospital and health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
