Patriarca named executive VP, chief business affairs, strategy officer

(Photo courtesy of Michael Patriarca, MBA, MS, FACHE)

I am pleased to announce that Michael Patriarca, MBA, MS, FACHE, will join UTHealth Houston as executive vice president and chief business affairs and strategy officer, effective April 30, 2026.

This newly created role reflects the university’s continued growth and the increasing scope of our academic, research, clinical, and administrative operations. As executive vice president and chief business affairs and strategy officer, Michael will join the executive team and work closely with our deans and senior leaders to ensure that institutional priorities are translated into coordinated action across UTHealth Houston.

In this role, Michael will oversee university-wide strategy and planning, financial stewardship, operations, facilities and infrastructure planning, information technology, data and analytics, and institutional transformation. A central and immediate focus of his work will be leading the development and implementation of a comprehensive, 10-year strategic plan designed to strengthen alignment across our missions and position UTHealth Houston for sustained local, statewide, and national impact.

Michael brings deep experience in academic medicine and health system leadership, with a career spanning strategy development, finance, operations, and analytics at leading academic health institutions. He currently serves as vice president and chief business officer for Tulane Medicine, where he was recruited into a newly created role bringing together strategic planning, financial oversight, and operational leadership. In that capacity, he has led institution-wide strategic planning, strengthened financial and operational alignment, advanced digital and data initiatives, and supported complex health system partnerships.

This appointment also represents a return to familiar ground for Michael, whose career has included senior leadership roles at several UT System institutions. He previously served as vice president for business affairs and chief operating officer for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, as well as executive vice dean for finance and administration, and held earlier leadership positions at UT Southwestern Medical Center and UTMB Health. These experiences have given him a deep understanding of UT System’s academic health environment and the operational demands of large, mission-driven institutions.

Michael earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Texas A&M University, his Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston–Clear Lake, and his Master of Science in business analytics from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is nationally recognized for his work in strategy, data-informed decision-making, and academic health administration.

UTHealth Houston is one of the most comprehensive academic health universities in the nation, with seven schools and a rapidly expanding academic, research, and clinical footprint. As we continue to evolve, this role is critical to ensuring that our priorities, investments, and operations move forward in a coordinated and deliberate way.

I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Kevin Dillon for his many years of dedicated service as senior executive vice president and chief operating officer, and for the steady leadership he has provided during a period of significant growth and change for the institution.

Please join me in welcoming Michael to UTHealth Houston and in supporting him as he begins this important leadership role.

Melina R. Kibbe, MD
President Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair