Leadership
Erol Akdamar - President and Chief Executive Officer
Erol Akdamar came to Medical City in January 2010 from St. David’s Hospital in Austin, Texas, where he moved the hospital from the 14th percentile in employee satisfaction to the 92nd percentile; 15th percentile in inpatient satisfaction to the 92nd percentile; and 60th percentile in physician satisfaction to the 98th percentile. Akdamar also led the efforts to secure funding in 2009 of nearly $72 million for a major bed expansion. His various senior management roles over the past 15 years have included hospitals involved in partnerships with the HCA healthcare system.
Akdamar earned his Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from Tulane University School of Public Health in New Orleans. In 2006 Modern Healthcare named Akdamar as an “Up and Comer” and in 2004 he was identified as one of “40 Outstanding Men and Women” in the New Orleans City Business Power Generation publication. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of Texas Hospital Association’s Council on Policy Development.
John O’Neill – CEO, Medical City Children’s Hospital
John Patrick O’Neill has over 25 years of healthcare experience in a wide variety of not for-profit and for-profit organizations. He joined Medical City in 2005, serving as CEO of Medical City Children’s Hospital and Women’s Services in Dallas. Previously O’Neill worked for 16 years at the University of Chicago Medical Center, which included 10 years in the University of Chicago Children’s Hospital, where he was chief administrative officer.
O’Neill is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association, and National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions, while serving on the Board of Trustees at Pediplace, a primary care pediatric clinic for underserved children located in Lewisville, Texas.
He holds a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration, both from Loyola University of Chicago. O’Neill also has a Masters of Science in Health Systems Management from Rush University and is a certified public accountant.
Scott Schmidly - Chief Operating Officer and Ethics and Compliance Officer
Scott Schmidly joined Medical City in September 2007 and has more than 15 years of healthcare experience.
In addition to his professional responsibilities, Schmidly is actively involved in the community and the health care industry. He is the past chairman of the Texas Hospital Association’s Leadership Development Council and a past board member with the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce. Currently Schmidly is a board member with the Texas Hospital Association’s Political Action Committee, the North Texas Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the Nelson Rusche College of Business at Stephen F. Austin State University. He is also a 2009 recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executive’s Early Career Executive Award.
Schmidly received his master’s degree in healthcare administration from Trinity University and his undergraduate degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Mark Atchley - Chief Financial Officer
Mark Atchley joined Medical City after serving as senior vice president and CFO at Medical Center of Plano, where he oversaw all financial management and registration functions, health information management, case management, scheduling and information services. Atchley is an experienced financial executive with a demonstrated record of developing and implementing creative business solutions for more than 27 years. He has also held executive financial positions at Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Encon International and Chapman Companies.
A graduate of Abilene Christian University with a degree in accounting, Atchley brings experience in financial management disciplines including treasury, national and worldwide tax planning, and administration and payroll.
Mark Hébert, M.D. - Chief Medical Officer
Mark Hébert has more than 30 years of physician insight and expertise as an active member of Medical City. Before becoming chief medical officer, he was a staff anesthesiologist at Medical City and a medical director of the hospital’s Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC).
During his tenure as an anesthesiologist, Hébert was elected to medical staff president and chairman for the department of surgery, and served in numerous hospital committees including the Physician Wellness Committee, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Meditech Advisory Committee, Quality Improvement Committee and the Privileges and Credentials Committee.
Hébert received his medical degree from Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and completed his residency training at Parkland. He is also a member of the Ambulatory Surgery Centers’ governing board and medical executive committee.
Keith Zimmerman - Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer
Prior to joining Medical City, Keith Zimmerman was the system vice president of business development for OhioHealth, a complex system of hospitals, ambulatory centers and surgery centers that account for nearly 2,500 licensed beds and more than 2,300 physicians in its network. During his tenure, Zimmerman led several multi-million dollar growth strategies, including the approval and development of a freestanding emergency department and a comprehensive outpatient cardiovascular diagnostic center. He also led advanced process improvement initiatives, successfully restructuring and aligning physician services and systems to optimize organizational performance.
Prior to his role as system vice president for OhioHealth, Zimmerman served as the organization’s vice president for physician partnerships for three years. Leading the strategic recommendations for growth, Zimmerman worked closely with large physician groups on major projects including acquisitions and joint ventures.
Zimmerman holds a Master’s of Business Administration in Health Care Management from Regis University in Denver, along with an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Louisiana.
Carol Gregory - Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer
Registered Nurse Carol Gregory’s prior leadership roles include critical care clinician, director of education, assistant director of nursing, vice president of hospital operations, and chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care at The Medical Center of Aurora and Centennial Medical Plaza, in Aurora, Colo.
Gregory is active in several professional organizations, including the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). Her career achievements include being named a 2008 Finalist for the Colorado Nightingale Award for Excellence in Human Caring and a 2008 and 2010 Nominee for the Denver Business Journal Outstanding Women in Business Award.
Gregory received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan, her Master of Science in Nursing from Wayne State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver.
