Austin Medical Times
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Hospital News Heart Hospital of Austin Names New Chief Executive Officer
H
eart Heart Hospital of Austin has selected Brett Matens as its new chief executive officer (CEO), replacing David Laird, who recently retired after 16 years as the hospital’s CEO. Matens, who assumed his
new role on May 11, 2022, was the chief operating officer (COO) of St. David’s South Austin Medical Center from 2003 to 2016 before serving as COO of HCA Healthcare’s Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center—a 680-bed facility in Denver,
Colo. “Brett’s experience growing hospital operations in both Denver and Austin, combined with his knowledge of our market and our healthcare system, make him the ideal person to build on Heart Hospital of Austin’s legacy as one of the highest performing cardiovascular facilities in the nation,” David Huffstutler, president and chief executive officer of St. David’s HealthCare, said. “I look forward to the many contributions he will help us make to further advance the exceptional cardiovascular care in our community.” Before joining Heart Hospital of Austin, Matens oversaw the development and execution of Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center’s electrophysiology, therapeutic GI, auto-immune bone marrow transplant (BMT) and pediatric BMT programs, among others. As a senior executive for this large facility, he was responsible for various clinical, ancillary and support departments, as well as key service lines, including cardiovascular, solid
organ transplant, orthopedics/spine and BMT. Prior to this, Matens led strategies at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center to open Austin’s first adult BMT program and advance the hospital’s trauma program from Level IV to Level II. He also managed three major expansion and renovation projects totaling more than $150 million including the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and Cath Lab. Matens received a Master of Health Administration from Tulane University in New Orleans, La., and a Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Brett Matens
St. David’s North Austin Medical Center Becomes First Texas Hospital to Join Elite Group of Transplant Centers
T
oday, the Kidney Transplant Center at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center announced it is the first in Texas to join the Donor Care Network Centers of Excellence, an elite group of high-performance transplant centers across the country. The Donor Care Network, a subsidiary of the National Kidney Registry, is committed to ensuring all kidney donors are treated with courtesy and respect, and provides extensive guidelines to make donation safer,
easier and more convenient. “We are proud to join this elite group of living donor programs and help make kidney donation more accessible for Central Texans,” Jacqueline Lappin, M.D., surgical director of the Kidney Transplant Center at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, said. “As a National Kidney Registry member center, we are able to expand the pool of kidney transplants from living donors, thus improving donor-recipient matches for longer
lasting transplants.” The National Kidney Registry helps people facing kidney failure by facilitating paired kidney exchange and making living kidney donation safer and easier. Paired kidney exchange allows donors who are not compatible with their recipient to exchange their kidney with a donor who is compatible anywhere in the United States. St. David’s North Austin Medical Center ranks among the top 25 National Kidney Registry
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member centers across the United States due to high transplant volume. With a collaborative team of physicians, nurses, social workers, dietitians and transplant specialists, the center provides comprehensive care and support to transplant recipients, donors and their families.
June 2022
