Dr. Gulshan Sharma has been named as one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s “Hospital and Health System Chief Medical Officers to Know” for 2026.
Sharma is the senior vice president, chief medical & clinical innovation officer at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), as well as a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.
“I am truly grateful to be included on this year’s Becker’s list,” Sharma said. “My journey at UTMB has been shaped by the incredible colleagues and teams I’ve had the privilege to work alongside since joining the institution over 20 years ago.”
“This recognition belongs to all of us and to our shared commitment to improving care, advancing innovation, and always putting our patients first,” he said.
Sharma became vice president, chief medical & clinical innovation officer in 2016 and was promoted to his current senior vice president role in 2021. He was recognized nationally as a PrimeMovers winner for his key leadership role to successfully elevate rankings for UTMB into the top 10 of the Vizient Quality and Accountability Study where it remained for three consecutive years.
Additional UTMB accolades during Sharma’s tenure include being listed in America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades annually from 2023 to 2026, achieving the inaugural five-star ranking in Vizient for pediatric hospitals, and being counted among the Top 100 hospitals by Premier.
Sharma has appeared on Becker’s “Hospital and Health System Chief Medical Officers to Know” list since 2018.
“We are pleased to see Dr. Sharma honored at the national level for his exceptional leadership and lasting contributions to academic medicine," said Dr. Jochen Reiser, UTMB President and CEO of the UTMB Health System. "Throughout his tenure, he has advanced a culture of excellence and championed innovations that improve the safety and quality of care for every patient we serve. This recognition reflects Dr. Sharma’s deep commitment to our mission.”
Becker’s describes those included on its annual list, which is compiled based on nominations and external research, as being instrumental in elevating patient safety, upholding rigorous quality standards, strengthening collaboration between executive leadership and medical staff, and guiding risk management efforts.