Karen H. Sexton, R.N., Ph.D., FACHE, has been appointed as the interim Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Health System. In this new role, Dr. Sexton will have executive oversight of the hospitals, clinics, and correctional managed care entities. Dr. Sexton will report directly to the President and be a member of the Executive Leadership Council, the governing body for the University of Texas Medical Branch. Additionally, she will serve as the CEO to the Health System Advisory Board, a newly formed board to be chaired by the President. This new governing structure for the Health System integrates every component responsible for patient care, incorporates accountability, and streamlines decision-making.

Sexton joined UTMB as Chief Operating Officer (COO) in January, 2001, on the heels of a successful and rewarding 25-year career at the University of Kentucky (UK) Hospital in Lexington, Ky. After serving as UTMB’s COO for nearly four years, Sexton was promoted to Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, UTMB Hospitals and Clinics in September, 2004.

Since the beginning of her career in healthcare as a staff nurse in 1975, a driving force in her professional life has been a commitment to ensuring quality patient care. Sexton has brought to UTMB a track record of accomplishments in hospital operations, and equally important, deeply held values that resonate with UTMB's passion for its people and for addressing the health needs of all Texans and beyond.
A native of Kentucky, Sexton received her B.S. at Eastern Kentucky University College of Nursing, her M.S. in Community Mental Health and a Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Sexton is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. In 2007, she was honored as the Outstanding Alumni by Eastern Kentucky University.

Dr. Sexton served on the executive committee of the Board of Trustees for the Texas Hospital Association and continues to serve as Vice Chair of the Healthshares/THA Board. Dr. Sexton also serves on the administrative board of the Council of Teaching Hospitals (COTH) as part of the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and on the executive board of the University HealthSystems Consortium (UHC). She recently was appointed to the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board. In April 2008, she will be recognized by the American Hospital Association as the Grass Roots Champion for Texas for her work in advocacy for hospitals and patients. Dr. Sexton is also serving as a member of the 2008 CEO Task Force for the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

Following her successful evacuation of UTMB’s patients during the September 2005 Hurricane Rita incident along the Texas Gulf Coast, Dr. Sexton was asked to serve on the Texas Governor’s Task Force on Evacuation, Transportation and Logistics to study the response of Texas to both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Within this task force she also served as Chair of the Special Needs Population Planning Committee. She participated in numerous public hearings across the state to gather information to report back to Governor Rick Perry. In addition, Dr. Sexton recently served on the Joint Advisory Committee on Communications Capabilities of Emergency Medical and Public Health Care Facilities in Washington, D.C. In December 2007, she was awarded the 2007 National Service Award for Public Health and Medical Organizations by the National Congress for Secure Communities.

In May 2007, Dr. Sexton was selected to attend the Women and Power Executive Education Program at Harvard University in the John F. Kennedy School of Government.