Five Texas Children’s employees representing a wide range of job types, departments and work locations were honored Thursday, October 23 at a luncheon naming the 2015 Catalyst Leadership Award recipients and the Catalyst Leader of the Year.
Nominations were thoughtfully reviewed by the selection committee, which included representatives from the organization’s senior executive team, Human Resources, Texas Children’s Board of Trustees, and Chief Executive Officer Mark A. Wallace.
“While it was no easy task to select the winners, I am thrilled to introduce our 2015 Catalyst Leadership Award recipients and Catalyst Leader of the Year,” Wallace said at the luncheon. “Please join me in applauding these deserving individuals for their proven ability to lead by example and for their passion to uphold Texas Children’s mission, make the biggest possible difference, and ensure the best possible outcomes.”
The 2015 Catalyst Leaders are:
Dr. Jeanine Graf, Medical Director, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Transport and Respiratory Care.
Jenn Jacome, Manager, Public Relations
Wayne Toote, House Supervisor, West Campus Nursing
Ketrese White, Assistant Director, West Campus Inpatient Nursing
The 2015 Catalyst Leader of the Year is Surgical Services Director Trent Johnson. Johnson joined Texas Children’s six years ago as the assistant director of Surgical Services and moved into the director slot in February of 2011.
To him, leadership is the ability to step into any situation and improve results by focusing on people and processes.
“A good leader is able to earn the trust and respect of his/her subordinates and peers in such a way that inspires followership,” Johnson said. “A good leader is also willing and able to constantly question the way things are done, raise the standards or goals, and seek for continuous improvement through creative thinking while remaining in search of excellence.”
Chief of Urology Dr. David Roth was one of three people who nominated Johnson for the Catalyst Award and said in his nomination form that Johnson has been instrumental in developing and instituting several process improvements that have positively impacted the patient experience in both the Department of Surgery the Emergency Department.
“Trent is my go-to administrator,” Roth said. “He is always available by phone or email. He understands my problems and solves them. Utmost in his mind are patient and physician satisfaction and providing excellent patient care in a cost effective model.”
Johnson said winning the Catalyst Leadership Award is an incredible honor, and a truly humbling experience, especially since the award is named after Wallace, a true visionary leader who sets the example for us all.
“Achieving results requires the efforts of many individuals working collaboratively, and I am grateful to be a part of the talented Texas Children’s Team,” Johnson said. “I eagerly anticipate the opportunities that this award will allow for me to further develop my leadership skills.”
Throughout the coming year, all five recipients of the Catalyst Leadership Award will receive a number of special honors and participate in a variety of rewarding learning experiences. Additionally, as the Catalyst Leader of the Year, Johnson will further develop his talents by completing advanced training at a renowned organization.
Members of Texas Children’s Board of Trustees made personal donations to an endowed fund that led to the establishment of the Mark A. Wallace Catalyst Leadership Award five years ago in honor of Wallace’s 20th anniversary as president and CEO.
This year, in honor of Wallace’s 25-year anniversary with Texas Children’s, the board of trustees – with the support of a one million dollar endowment from the Texas Children’s Hospital Foundation – took it a step further and established the Mark A. Wallace Leadership University at Texas Children’s. The university will recognize Wallace’s legacy of leadership and his passion for developing the next generation of health care leaders.
To learn more about this year’s Catalyst leaders click here.