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

Siddarth Vyas
  • Community
|Jun 18, 2025

From finance to medicine: UNTHSC graduate charts bold new course

Siddarth Vyas was working as a corporate financial analyst when he decided to shift his focus — and his future — toward health care. This transition started with “significant reflection” and a long journey that included volunteering, shadowing and completing the prerequisite courses f...
Image
  • Our People
|Jun 18, 2025

Changing the flight plan: UNTHSC student redirects from aviation to health care

Taylor Harden was in a high-flying profession when she decided to reroute to a new destination. Her successful landing into health care moved her from an exciting career in aviation and travel into the business of healing and improving the lives of others. Harden recently completed the online Bac...
Eun-Young Mun
  • Our People
|Jun 16, 2025

Dr. Eun-Young Mun receives national award for advancing prevention science

  Eun-Young Mun, Ph.D., a regents professor and associate dean for Research and Innovation at The University of North Texas Health Science Center of Fort Worth’s College of Public Health, has received the Nan Tobler Award at the 33rd annual meeting of the Society for Prevention Researc...
Dr. John Licciardone
  • Research
|Jun 12, 2025

Long-term study shows better chronic pain outcomes in patients treated by osteopathic physicians

The first long-term study involving three years of follow-up of osteopathic medical care for chronic pain has been published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. The research team was led by Dr. John Licciardone, executive director of the Osteopathic Research Center and regents professor at T...