Noel Cárdenashas been appointed Vice President of Operations at Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital. Cárdenas will be responsible for the daily operation of the 255 licensed-bed hospital, beginning Aug. 31.
Cárdenas served 13 years as a military service hospital CEO and senior administrator prior to accepting his new position with Memorial Hermann Northeast. A combat veteran who will retire from military service as a colonel in December after a 30-year career in the Texas National Guard and U.S. Army, Cárdenas spent the last two years as the CEO and Hospital Commander for Reynolds Army Community Hospital in Fort Sill, Okla.
“We are excited and very fortunate to have Noel join Memorial Hermann Northeast,” said Heath Rushing, Senior Vice President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Northeast. “The experience, leadership and commitment to innovative operational excellence Noel brings to our hospital will have an immediate positive impact on our campus and the Lake Houston community.”
A native of Weslaco, Texas, Cárdenas has served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; CEO and Commander of the 421st Multifunctional Medical Battalion in Wiesbaden, Germany and Balad, Iraq; and as the COO at both Evans Army Community Hospital in Fort Carson, Colo. and Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center in Fort Huachuca, Ariz.
“Memorial Hermann Northeast’s commitment to patient safety, high reliability of services and dedication to quality care are values I share and what make this a special hospital,” Cárdenas said. “I am very eager to begin serving the Lake Houston community.”
Cárdenas is a distinguished military graduate of the University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in biology and earned his master’s degree in healthcare administration from Baylor University. Cárdenas and his wife of 25 years, Cristi, reside in Kingwood and have three children: Andrew, Kristian and Noah.
Cárdenas is board certified and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). He recently served as the Army Regent for the American College of Healthcare Executives, is currently a Board Member for the National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives, and is a former Federal Delegate on the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board 7.