UTHealth Houston welcomes Brian Dean, MBA, MPH, as executive vice president for health affairs

Brian Dean, MBA, MPH, a highly respected health care executive with more than 25 years of experience leading health systems across the country, joins UTHealth Houston as executive vice president for health affairs, effective March 18.

“Brian’s experience and expertise will be a considerable asset to our clinical practice, and brings our university another step forward toward building the most comprehensive and robust academic health care center in the nation,” said Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, UTHealth Houston president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair.

Dean will join UTHealth Houston’s clinical and administrative leadership in further developing the university’s health care platform — with a focus on strategic growth of its clinical footprint and infrastructure, and ensuring that delivery models are responsive to the needs of local communities and patients from across the globe.

“This newly created role is vital to the health of Texas and the future of UTHealth Houston’s integrated clinical enterprise,” said John Zerwas, MD, executive vice chancellor for health affairs at The University of Texas System. 

UTHealth Houston is one of the most comprehensive academic health universities in the nation, with seven schools that include Cizik School of Nursing, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, the School of Public Health, the School of Dentistry, MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the new School of Behavioral Health Sciences, and McGovern Medical School. Following more than a decade of exponential growth, its clinical programs serve as an incomparable training platform for students, residents, and fellows, and a critical resource for patients. Additionally, the university enjoys well-established affiliations with Memorial Hermann Health System and Harris Health, with Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center once again ranked among the top 10 for Vizient Comprehensive Academic Medical Center Quality and Accountability and Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital poised to begin construction on a new $1.6 billion facility.

“I have had the privilege of working closely with UTHealth Houston’s faculty physicians in the past, and believe that there is no clinical group in the country with more talent, depth, or dedication to service,” said Dean. “This is a homecoming for me, and a very happy one.”

Dean earned his Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Public Health in health administration, both from the University of Kentucky, and received his Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami. Through the course of his career, he has held top executive positions with Sutter Health in California, Jackson Health System and University Community Health in Florida, and the University of Kentucky’s Chandler Hospital. He also spent seven years as a leader within the Memorial Hermann Health System — including as chief executive officer of the Texas Medical Center campus, executive vice president for academic affairs and service lines, and as chief financial officer for the system.