Leadership and People

Chris Durovich, the Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Health, has more than 30 years of leadership experience in adult and pediatric health care and physician practice management. Since becoming President and Chief Executive Officer in 2003, he has guided Children's Health to be the eighth-largest pediatric health care system in the nation, serving nearly 300,000 children each year.

Chris Akeroyd serves as Senior Vice President, Information Services and Chief Information Officer (CIO), and is responsible for leading all efforts of the Information Services groups in the organization. His oversight encompasses systems and technology, cyber security and health care technology management and support.

Kim Besse serves as President and Chief People Officer for Children’s Health. Her areas of responsibility include recruitment and staffing, benefits, compensation, learning and development and employee relations.

Tom Burt serves as Executive Advisor, Enterprise Workforce Management and Total Rewards for Children’s Health. His areas of responsibility include compensation, benefits, absence management, employee relations, compliance, human resource information systems and human resource service delivery.

Joe Don is Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services for Children’s Health. In his role, Joe Don provides strategic oversight and drives operational excellence of core patient care areas and support services departments for the Dallas campus. Joe Don’s focus is on creating an overall patient care environment that fosters patient advocacy, high quality clinical competence, patient safety and a positive employee experience.

Brent Christopher serves as the President of Children’s Medical Center Foundation. He leads a team focused on fundraising in support of Children’s Health and its components: Children’s Medical Center Dallas and Plano, specialty centers, Our Children’s House physician services and the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern.

Dai Chung, M.D., serves as President and Chief Medical Officer for Children's Health. Dr. Chung is responsible for strengthening clinical operations and fostering stronger partnerships across the joint pediatric enterprise and throughout the North Texas community. He works with leaders at Children's Health and across the UT Southwestern Medical Group practice to develop and execute strategies across all pediatric operations to improve the overall quality, cost and efficiency of care for the growing North Texas pediatric population.

Brenda Clayton, RN serves as Senior Vice President, Supply Chain, and is responsible for leading all aspects of supply chain management and operations that include clinical value analysis, strategic sourcing, contract and inventory management, and distribution.

Matt Davis serves as President of the Dallas Market. In this role, he is responsible for driving market strategy with direct responsibility for Children’s Medical Center Dallas campus and all Dallas facilities’ operations and performance.

Linda Dunlap serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Process Officer for Children’s Health. In her role, Linda’s responsibilities include directing all efforts of the Enterprise Transformation Office. Her oversight encompasses project management, performance improvement, DSRIP and change management.

Bill Elvey serves as Executive Advisor, Flagship at Children’s Health.  He is responsible for facilities planning; real estate acquisition and disposition; property management; facilities project management, design and construction; major repair and repurposing of facilities and a host of other facilities-related functions.

Robert Fries serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Children’s Health. In this role, Robert oversees finance and treasury. He collaborates with executive management team members, Board of Directors and senior leaders of Children's Health to execute financial decisions.

Doris Hunt serves as Executive Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Compliance Officer for Children’s Health. Prior to her current role, she led the Children’s Medical Center Health Plan.

Jodi Landon serves as the Senior Vice President of Managed Care for Children’s Health. In her role, Jodi is responsible for strategy development, analytics and payor relations. She also develops programs, processes and tools to optimize all existing contracting opportunities. 

Matt Moore serves as Senior Vice President, Government and Community Relations and Chief of Staff at Children’s Health. In his role, he is responsible for developing and leading the implementation of strategy, relationship building and public policy engagement with federal, state and local policymakers and stakeholders to further the Children's Health mission to make life better for children.

Pete Perialas Jr. serves as President of the Children’s Health Care Network and Chief Operating Officer for Children's Health. He leads strategic activities designed to develop, deploy and extend technological and operational capabilities that advance the system’s substantial investments in Population Health and consumer oriented, value-based health system integration.

James Rhodes serves as Senior Vice President, Strategic Development for the Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Joint Pediatric Enterprise (JPE). In his role, James’ responsibilities include leading business development, integration and growth efforts for the JPE. He works with leaders across Children’s Health and UT Southwestern to develop and execute strategies, partnerships and operational initiatives across our network that improve health care delivery and access for our growing North Texas pediatric population.

Ben Salinas serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations for Children’s Health. In his role, Ben oversees Ambulatory Services, Lab, Radiology, Food Services, Therapy Services, Family Support Services, Volunteer Services and Psychiatry.

Loyd Skinner serves as Senior Vice President, Revenue Cycle, and is responsible for developing change to ensure accuracy and quality of demographic and financial information. He oversees the accurate and timeliness of coding medical records and ensures the maximum reimbursement is obtained for all services provided. Loyd directs the activities of leaders and staff to meet hospital and departmental goals while providing excellent customer service to our patients and patient families.

Jean Storey serves as the Senior Vice President for the Center of Cancer and Blood Disorders, the Heart Center and Maternal, Fetal-Neonatal Services, at Children’s Health. In her role, Jean is responsible for the strategic planning and business development of these services, while she oversees operations and performance.

Lindsey Tyra serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Children’s Health. In this role, Lindsey oversees the planning, development, and implementation of innovative business initiatives and tactics that address market dynamics, optimize the organization’s competitive position, and advance Children’s Health strategic plan.

Vanessa Walls serves as President of the Northern Market for Children’s Health. In her role, she is responsible for driving market strategy with direct responsibility as the Administrator for Children’s Medical Center Plano.    

Tammy Webb, MSN, RN, NE-BC, serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive of Children’s Health. In her role, Tammy is responsible for leading the nursing strategy and driving clinical excellence for all patient care services, while fostering a culture of patient- and family-centered care and advancing the Children’s Health vision for nursing excellence.

Amy Yeager serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for Children’s Health. In her role, Amy oversees the strategy and direction for legal services at Children’s Health.