Physician executive Dr. Michael Hicks to lead UNTHSC’s clinical operations

Dr--Michael-R--Hicks-001-(2)-WEB

Dr. Michael Hicks, who co-founded one of the nation’s largest providers of perioperative medicine and pain management services, has joined UNT Health Science Center as its Executive Vice President for Clinical Affairs.

In his new position, Dr. Hicks will oversee all clinical operations at UNTHSC while supporting and enhancing the university’s efforts at interprofessional education. He also will take a lead role in shaping the collaborative clinical practice that UNTHSC is creating with JPS Health Network, a venture he said is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create something new and better.”

“Whether you are an anesthesiologist, a cardiac surgeon or a pediatrician, you just want to take care of people,” Dr. Hicks said. “With this new collaborative medical group, we get to figure out how patients want to receive care and how we can best deliver it. I can’t imagine a physician not wanting to be a part of something like that. It’s the reason I get out of bed in the morning.”

Dr. Hicks was co-founder, president and board chairman of DFW Anesthesia Associates, which began in 1990 as a physician-owned anesthesiology practice and eventually became Pinnacle Partners in Medicine. Pinnacle, which last year employed 360 anesthesiologists and 230 certified registered nurse anesthetists, is the major anesthesia provider for both Baylor Scott & White Health and Texas Health Resources in north Texas, as well as a number of the area’s other leading hospitals and surgery centers. It has annual patient services revenues of $270 million.

In addition to his role as President and Chairman of the Board at Pinnacle, since 2006 Dr. Hicks has served as Regional Medical Director for Hospital Corporation of America’s Ambulatory Surgery Division and from 2009 as CEO of EmCare Anesthesia Services.

Dr. Michael Williams, President of UNTHSC, said Dr. Hicks’ background as a physician executive and entrepreneur make him an ideal fit to lead UNTHSC’s clinical operations.

“Dr. Hicks has a deep knowledge of what it takes to oversee both single-specialty and multi-specialty practices – and the innovation, leadership and change management skills that come with running complex organizations,” Dr. Williams said.

Dr. Hicks earned his MD from the West Virginia University School of Medicine, his MBA from the University of Dallas and his MS in health management from the Harvard School of Public Health. He is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology (Anesthesiology), the American Board of Preventive Medicine (Clinical Informatics) and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Recent News

Heads Up
  • Our People
|May 3, 2024

Pharmaceutical sciences faculty awarded patents

Two members of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s College of Pharmacy faculty have made significant strides in their respective fields. Dr. Kyle Emmitte, an expert in medicinal chemistry, and Dr. Jin Liu, specializing in computational drug design, joined forces on ...
Hsc Pt In Dc
  • Our People
|May 2, 2024

HSC students highlight importance of physical therapy in D.C.

Prior to coming to The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Do Kyung Yun advocated alongside community members in his Los Angeles neighborhood. As a community organizer, Yun, a second-year physical therapy student who is known to friends as “DK,” used to frequent meetin...
58ea6a4e 2ebd 4474 Aa12 D704cc7e3475
  • Our People
|May 2, 2024

Dr. Tracy Hicks reelected board member-at-large of the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Tracy Hicks, DNP, MBA, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, FIAAN, FAANP, associate professor at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s College of Nursing, was recently re-elected as board member-at-large of the Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. ...
Justin New
  • Our People
|May 2, 2024

SaferCare Texas appoints new director

Justin Burton has been appointed as the new director of SaferCare Texas, The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth's department dedicated to enhancing patient safety initiatives across the state. Burton is a registered nurse with more than 20 years of experience....