Sally Nelson erved as CEO of Huntsville (Texas) Memorial Hospital from 2007 to 2012. 
Ms. Nelson started her professional career with Exxon in Houston in 1975, where she performed program design, testing, documentation and user implementation of financial systems. She joined the healthcare field in 1986 when she became the executive vice president and CFO Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.
At Huntsville Memorial, Ms. Nelson rebuilt physician relations and hired specialists and primary care providers in order to make the HMH Physician Organization operational. She also helped build a partnership between the hospital and Sam Houston State University to strengthen both organizations' nursing programs. The hospital provides fellowships to nursing students and additional training, and the students then commit to two years of employment at HMH.
Under her guidance, the hospital was named one of the nation's Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by the Joint Commission in 2011 and 2012. "We understand that what matters most to the patients…is safe, effective care," Ms. Nelson said in a release. "That's why Huntsville Memorial Hospital has made a commitment to accreditation and to positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes."
Ms. Nelson's years of success as a healthcare leader have brought her state and national recognition. In 2010, she was nominated for Citizen of the Year in Huntsville for her dedication to keeping the community healthy. In 2012, Becker's Hospital Review named her on its list of 120 Women Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know.
Ms. Nelson retired in January 2012.
Ms. Nelson will be a speaker at the Becker's Hospital Review 4th Annual Meeting, May 9-11, in Chicago. For more information on the event, or to register, please click here.
If you have additional information or updates for this profile, or would like to recommend a leader to be profiled in the future, please contact Lindsey Dunn, editor in chief, Becker's Hospital Review at ldunn@beckershealthcare.com.
More Articles on Hospital CEO Profiles:
President Valinda Rutledge: Taking Innovation From CMS to Jewish Hospital
CEO Dr. Maria Ryan: Leading by Example at Cottage Hospital
CEO Daniel Slipkovich: Co-Founder of Capella Healthcare