HARLINGEN—Two leaders in Valley Baptist Health System are being promoted to new positions in March.
Effective March 1, Manny Vela, senior vice president and chief legal officer for Valley Baptist Health System, will transition to the role of president and chief executive officer of the health system.
James Eastham, who has filled that role the last three years, transition to vice president with Vanguard Health Systems. His primary responsibilities will focus on public policy and advocacy.
Vela has served Valley Baptist Health System eight years. A native of Harlingen, he earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to working at Valley Baptist, he was a partner with his father Moises V. Vela in the Vela and Vela law firm.
During his tenure with Valley Baptist, he has been involved with a variety of major corporate transactions, including the purchase of Brownsville Medical Center and the joint venture with Vanguard Health Systems.
“Manny is a Valley native who has lived and worked here most of his life, and comes from a well-known family of generations of South Texas leaders. His experience in health care and his extensive civic and professional leadership, coupled with his involvement with healthcare issues with the state legislature, create a skill set that is ideal to lead Valley Baptist moving forward,” said Kent Wallace, president and CEO of Vanguard Health Systems.
Prior to joining Valley Baptist in 2002, Eastham served as CEO at Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Hospital Southwest in Houston. He led the Valley Baptist capital restructuring effort culminating in the joint venture with Vanguard Health Systems in September 2011.
“James Eastham has a depth and breadth of experience in healthcare administration, and he is uniquely suited to work in the public policy arena,” Wallace said.
“We are excited for these two strong leaders,” stated Alan Johnson, chairman of the Valley Baptist Joint Venture board of directors. “We are even more excited about the future of our hospitals as we move forward with our Vanguard partnership.”
Valley Baptist Health System is an 866-bed faith-based regional health system located in the Rio Grande Valley.
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