Chuck Stokes (MSHA Class 17) EVP/COO, Memorial HermannThe prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, presented annually by the President of the United States, has been awarded to Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital. Two alumni of the UAB School of Health Professions’ Master of Science in Health Administration program hold significant roles in the hospital and the health system.

Chuck Stokes (MSHA Class 17) is EVP/COO of the Memorial Hermann Health System, and Kate Willis (MSHA Class 49) is the director of Service Line Operations for Sugar Land Hospital.

“We’ve always seen our overarching strength as ‘family caring for family’ and this recognition doesn’t happen without the commitment and dedication of every member of the Memorial Hermann Sugar Land family,” said Greg Haralson, Senior Vice President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Sugar Land.

Stokes, an emeritus member of the UAB School of Health Professions’ Dean’s Advisory Board and current Chair-Elect of the Board of the American College of Healthcare Executives, has the rare honor of being a two-time Baldrige Award winner. Stokes was president of North Mississippi Medical Center when the hospital won the award in the late 2000’s.

Established by Congress in 1987, the Baldrige Award was designed to raise awareness of quality management and recognize U.S. companies that have implemented successful quality-management systems.