Baylor Scott & White names president-elect

James H. Hinton, who has led Albuquerque, N.M.-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services more than two decades, is the next president and chief executive officer of Baylor Scott & White Health and the first non-Baptist to lead the historically Baptist hospital system.

The Baylor Scott & White Holdings board of trustees announced Hinton’s appointment Oct. 10 after a national search. He assumes the post Jan. 16.

James Hinton Hinton, a Presbyterian, noted he was drawn to Baylor Scott & White because of its mission to serve all people as a Christian ministry of healing, and he would not have considered moving unless it were to a faith-based organization.

Hinton, 57, will succeed Joel Allison, who announced in March his intention to retire. Allison joined the Baylor Health Care System in 1993 as chief operating officer, and he became chief executive officer in 2000. In 2013, he spearheaded the merger of Baylor and Scott & White that created the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Texas, with 47 hospitals and nearly 1,000 patient access points throughout North and Central Texas.

Hinton has been president and chief executive officer at Presbyterian since 1995, and has been with the organization since 1983.

“During this time of incredible change in healthcare, Jim brings exceptional experience that will help move us into the future,” said Jim L. Turner, chairman of the Baylor Scott & White Holdings board of trustees. “He is one of the few health system leaders in the country who has successfully navigated an organization from a focus on volume to a focus on value, and beyond his impressive accomplishments, those he leads are quick to say he is best known for promoting a caring culture.”

Hinton served on the board of trustees of the American Hospital Association from 2011 through 2015. In 2014, he was the chair of the organization that represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, healthcare systems, networks and other providers of care through advocacy and public policy.

“I have always been impressed with Baylor Scott & White’s reputation for high-quality care, for its dedication to its mission, its service to its communities, and its innovative strategies,” Hinton said. “I am honored to now be in a position to help continue to advance the organization and its move toward population health.”

Hinton has received numerous leadership awards, and he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine in 2013 and 2014.  He holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Arizona State University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of New Mexico.

Hinton will move to the Dallas area in December with his wife, Kristen, and their two youngest children, Ethan and Nora. They also have two adult children—Rebecca, a nurse in Albuquerque, and Robert, who works for a New York-area health system.