Top 25 COOs in Healthcare - 2017

Stokes has been COO of Memorial Hermann Health System since 2008. He oversees 16 hospitals and 25,000 employees across Southeast Texas. He came to Memorial Hermann from North Mississippi Medical Center, where he served as president for about three years. As a registered nurse, Stokes began his career in critical care at the University of Mississippi in 1978 and was named to his first COO role in 1989 at the four-hospital Christus Schumpert Health System in Louisiana, where he spent seven years. He went on to serve as executive vice president and system operations officer at St. Vincent Health System, Little Rock, Ark., from 1996 to 1999 before being named executive vice president, COO and chief nurse executive at Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital System. In March, Stokes began a one-year term as chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives.