Estela has had a 38 year career in Healthcare working as a Registered Nurse and Healthcare Administrator throughout Texas. In 1979 she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Woman’s University and in 1992 earned a Master Degree from Corpus Christi State University. She joined Memorial Medical Center as Director of Nursing and was later promoted to Vice President of Operations. In 1996 she was Administrator of the community’s first Long Term Acute Care Hospital. In December 2004 she accepted the challenge and opened Kindred Hospital becoming this community’s first Hispanic female CEO. During her tenure at Kindred, the hospital was selected as one of the best places to work and served as an example of Excellence as recognized by Kindred Healthcare as the “South Region Facility of the Year” in 2006. In 2007 Estela returned to CHRISTUS Spohn Memorial as Vice President & Chief Operating Officer and in 2012 was promoted to the position of Regional Executive VP/COO for the CHRISTUS Spohn Health System which encompasses six facilities within the South Texas area. In February 2015 she accepted the role of Chief Clinical & Transformational Officer. Estela has always viewed her ethnicity with pride.
Whether at work or school doing her best and going the extra mile have been challenges she has accepted willingly. She has sought and held numerous professional certifications and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Estela has received recognition awards including Sigma Theta Tau’s Excellence in Leadership Award and the ACHE Texas Regents Award. In 2004, Estela was recognized by the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas and was a recipient of Las Estrellas Award. In 2013 Estela was featured in the “Latin Style Magazine” and in 2014 was again featured locally in the August Edition of “Inspire Magazine”.
Professional affiliations include memberships to Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society and American College Healthcare Executive and Texas Hospital Association. Her community services include Affiliate Faculty Del Mar College, Advisory Board Chair Del Mar College, Advisory Board Member TX A & M University-CC, Board Member South Texas Substance Abuse and Recovery Services Council, Board Member Southwest Transplant Alliance, Gulf Coast Healthcare Council III Chairperson and the American College Healthcare Executives Regional Advisory Board. Estela currently serves on the Catholic Healthcare Association Board of Trustees, is a member of CHA’s Diversity & Health Disparities Committee and serves as Chair of the Audit & Compliance Committee.
