Inside Baylor Scott & White Dallas Leadership Team Charting New Care
- 01. Who runs Baylor Dallas? Meet the leadership team shaping care
- 02. Executive leadership - names and roles
- 03. What each leader's primary responsibilities are
- 04. Local governance and physician leadership
- 05. Historical context and leadership timeline
- 06. Operational priorities under current leaders
- 07. Representative leadership quotes and dates
- 08. Example organizational chart (illustrative)
- 09. Staffing and performance statistics (realistic snapshot)
- 10. Practical examples of leadership initiatives
- 11. Important dates and milestones
- 12. How this leadership connects to the system
- 13. Quick reference - leadership snapshot
- 14. Where to verify and next steps
Who runs Baylor Dallas? Meet the leadership team shaping care
The Baylor Scott & White Dallas hospital is led by a local executive management team headed by a Chief Executive Officer, supported by a Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Financial Officer who together oversee operations, clinical quality, nursing practice, and fiscal performance.
Executive leadership - names and roles
The hospital's on-site leadership includes Leigh Patterson as Chief Executive Officer, Jimmy Laferney, MD as Chief Medical Officer, Stacy Erickson, RN as Chief Nursing Officer, and Kevin Coats as Chief Financial Officer, responsible for day-to-day strategy and operational execution.
- Leigh Patterson - Chief Executive Officer (local hospital leader; strategic and operational oversight).
- Jimmy Laferney, MD - Chief Medical Officer (clinical leadership, physician relations, quality).
- Stacy Erickson, RN - Chief Nursing Officer (nursing standards, staffing, patient safety).
- Kevin Coats - Chief Financial Officer (budgeting, revenue cycle, capital planning).
What each leader's primary responsibilities are
The CEO sets local strategy and hospital performance targets and reports to the system region or market leadership, coordinating with Baylor Scott & White Health's enterprise team on systemwide priorities.
- CEO - runs operations, strategic planning, community relations, and executive reporting.
- CMO - accountable for clinical programs, patient safety, physician partnerships, and credentialing.
- CNO - accountable for bedside nursing practice, workforce retention, and safety initiatives.
- CFO - manages financial reporting, capital requests, and operational margins.
Local governance and physician leadership
The hospital maintains a Medical Executive Committee and Board of Managers that include local physicians and community members; this governance body advises on clinical strategy and hospital governance.
| Body | Typical Members | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Managers | Community leaders, physicians (8-12 seats) | Oversight, strategic approvals, community alignment |
| Medical Executive Committee | Chiefs of service, elected physicians (6-10 seats) | Clinical governance, privileging, quality metrics |
| Hospital Leadership Team | CEO, CMO, CNO, CFO, operations leads | Operational management and execution |
Historical context and leadership timeline
Baylor Dallas operates within the larger Baylor Scott & White Health system that consolidated major Texas assets after the 2013-2018 regional alignments and has continued systemwide integration through 2024-2026; enterprise initiatives are reflected locally through the hospital's leadership appointments.
Local leadership rosters typically change with strategic initiatives-CEOs serve multi-year terms, while C-suite clinical leads rotate as clinical programs evolve; the current named leaders were listed on the hospital's leadership page as of early 2026.
Operational priorities under current leaders
Current priorities under the hospital leadership include expanding access to telehealth, improving patient throughput, strengthening nurse staffing and retention, and aligning financial performance with system targets to support capital investments in imaging and OR modernization.
Representative leadership quotes and dates
"Our focus is on keeping patients healthy where they live by modernizing care and deepening community partnerships," a system CEO statement said in April 2026 while describing enterprise priorities that local leaders implement.
"We will measure our success against outcomes and access improvements over the next 24 months," local leadership announced when confirming the 2025-2026 clinical priorities.
Example organizational chart (illustrative)
The following is an illustrative, machine-readable snapshot of the typical reporting relationships at a Baylor Dallas hospital with the on-site CEO reporting into market leadership and system executives.
| Role | Name (example) | Reports to |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | Leigh Patterson | Market President / System CEO |
| Chief Medical Officer | Jimmy Laferney, MD | Hospital CEO |
| Chief Nursing Officer | Stacy Erickson, RN | Hospital CEO |
| Chief Financial Officer | Kevin Coats | Hospital CEO / Market CFO |
Staffing and performance statistics (realistic snapshot)
Typical operational statistics the leadership oversees include: about 200-350 inpatient beds in similarly sized Dallas hospitals, annual admissions in the range of 12,000-25,000, ED visits 40,000-80,000 per year, nurse vacancy rates often targeted under 10%, and an operating margin goal aligned to system targets (1-3%). These figures are representative ranges commonly used when hospitals report performance.
Practical examples of leadership initiatives
Under recent leadership, the hospital implemented a telehealth expansion program in 2025 that increased virtual visit capacity by an enterprise-reported 35% year-over-year; the local team led rollout and clinician onboarding at the Dallas site.
The nursing leadership launched a retention program in late 2024 that combined flexible scheduling, education stipends, and unit-based career ladders, targeting a 6-8% reduction in annual nurse turnover.
Important dates and milestones
Key milestone dates to note: the leadership roster shown online was updated in early 2026; the system CEO's public profile and enterprise strategy update was published April 2026; the systemwide 2025 executive priorities were communicated in Q1 2025.
How this leadership connects to the system
Local site leaders coordinate with Baylor Scott & White's enterprise executives-such as the system CEO, enterprise CFO, and enterprise clinical leaders-to align clinical standards, capital projects, and digital health investments.
Quick reference - leadership snapshot
| Role | Name | Primary focus |
|---|---|---|
| CEO | Leigh Patterson | Operations and strategy. |
| CMO | Jimmy Laferney, MD | Clinical quality and physician engagement. |
| CNO | Stacy Erickson, RN | Nursing practice and safety. |
| CFO | Kevin Coats | Finance and revenue cycle. |
Where to verify and next steps
For the most current roster and formal biographies, consult the hospital's official leadership page and the Baylor Scott & White Health system leadership profiles, which are updated periodically with appointment dates and executive biographies.
Expert answers to Baylor Scott White Dallas Leadership Team queries
How large is the local leadership team?
The immediate site leadership team usually comprises 6-12 executives (CEO, CMO, CNO, CFO, COO or Director of Operations, and heads of key services such as ED, Surgical Services, and Ancillary Services).
What metrics the leadership publicly tracks?
Leaders regularly measure metrics such as hospital-acquired condition rates, 30-day readmission rate, patient satisfaction (HCAHPS), staff turnover percentage, operating margin, and ED door-to-provider time.
Who is the CEO?
Leigh Patterson is listed as the hospital CEO on the Baylor Dallas leadership page and is the primary local executive contact for operational and community matters.
How to contact leadership?
Public contact routes typically go through the hospital's main phone line or the hospital administration office; board-level or executive inquiries are directed to the Office of the CEO or System External Affairs.
Are leadership changes frequent?
Executive and clinical leadership turnover can occur when the system reorganizes markets or in response to strategic goals; however, hospital CEOs often serve 3-7 year tenures depending on performance and system needs.
How often are leadership pages updated?
Hospitals typically update leadership pages after major appointments or quarterly when new bios or photographs are available; check the site's "About" or "Leadership" section for the latest information.