Kingwood, TX – Patty Howard MSN, RN NEA-BC, has been named chief nursing Officer (CNO) of HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood, effective December 30, 2019. As CNO, Howard will coordinate each nursing department and its daily operations, while helping her nurses develop leadership skills.
Howard launched her nursing career in 1998 as a medical-surgical nurse at HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast (formerly Bayshore Medical Center) in Pasadena. While honing her nursing skills and leadership, she continued her education and obtained her BSN from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 2006 and her MSN in Leadership & Management from Western Governors University in 2014.
Howard has served in several leadership roles during her tenure with HCA Houston Healthcare. After acceptance into the HCA Executive Development Program, she was promoted to Associate CNO at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake (formerly Clear Lake Regional Medical Center) and then CNO at HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland in 2015.
Howard most recently served as CNO of HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, a position she's held since 2017.
As a nursing leader, Howard feels it is vital to cultivate a culture where front line staff can practice and provide excellent care, and just as importantly, that she develop future leaders to continue a positive environment for future nurses.
"The development of nurses is what I am most passionate about," says Howard, "and it is also what I am most proud of."
Howard adds she values opportunities for her nurses to learn and grow in their skills and education, which improves patient outcomes and fosters nursing leaders.
"Patty is dedicated to patient care and is able to develop positive relationships with employees and physicians," said John Corbeil, CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood. "She will be a valuable asset to our senior leadership team and we are very happy she has decided to join us."