About this Event
3:30–5:00 pm - Panel 1: Building the Hospital of Tomorrow – Rehabilitate, Renovate, or Replace
Healthcare organizations are confronting unprecedented pressure to modernize aging facilities while balancing capital constraints, shifting patient needs, and emerging technologies. This panel explores the strategic, financial, and operational considerations behind three critical pathways: rehabilitating existing structures, renovating for modern care delivery, or pursuing full replacement.
Attendees will gain:
· Frameworks for evaluating long‑term facility strategy
· Insights into capital prioritization and risk mitigation
· Real‑world lessons from leaders who have navigated major facility decisions
· Perspectives on how infrastructure choices shape culture, patient experience, and system performance
Moderator
· John Klitsch, FACHE – President, Texas Health Flower Mound
Panelists
· Kathi Cox – COO, THR Ambulatory & Virtual Care
· Whitney Higgins – Administrator, Baylor Surgicare Dallas
· Julie Frazier – Principal, Perkins & Will
5:30-7pm - Panel 2: Best Approaches in Executive On‑Boarding
Successful executive onboarding is a strategic differentiator—one that accelerates alignment, strengthens culture, and reduces costly turnover. This session examines the most effective models and practices for integrating senior leaders into complex healthcare environments.
Attendees will learn:
· Proven onboarding structures that drive early success
· Strategies for cultural assimilation and stakeholder alignment
· Leadership behaviors that accelerate trust and credibility
· Pitfalls that undermine executive transitions—and how to avoid them
Moderator
· John Klitsch, FACHE – President, Texas Health Flower Mound
Panelists
· Josh Bourgeois – EVP & CNO, Hospital Operations, Children’s Health
· D. Scott Phillips – VP, Texas Health Connect
· Sharita Butler, MHA – VP, Clinical Programs Growth & Development, Children’s Health
Speakers' Bios:
Josh Bourgeois has been with Children’s Health since 2007 and has played a key role at the Plano campus since its opening in 2008. In that time, Children’s Medical Center Plano grew from its original 72 beds to the 212-bed hospital it is today. Children’s Medical Center Plano is a designated Level III pediatric trauma center serving the Collin County community and has one of the busiest emergency departments in Collin County. Josh currently serves as Executive Vice President for Hospital Operations and Chief Nursing Officer, overseeing nursing and ancillary support services.
Dr. Bourgeois earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing Administration from Northeastern University in Boston and later completed his Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Josh is currently in his fifth year as a board member on the Plano ISD Education Foundation, and most recently started his term at the North Central Texas Workforce Development Board of Directors.
As Vice President of Clinical Programs for the Northern Market at Children’s Health, Sharita Butler embodies innovation and growth. Her day-to-day work enhances life for team members, patients, and the North Texas community. With a lifelong passion for community health, after earning her master’s in healthcare administration and spending years in a hospital setting, Sharita’s role now combines her clinical experience with the community’s needs by focusing on growth of key clinical programs and services.
Sharita puts as much enthusiasm into the strategic planning for an updated campus as she does to her mentorship and community volunteering. Sharita attributes her passion to her roles as a wife and mother of three, where she has learned the importance of preparing children for the future, including aspects such as medical care and mental well-being. She is invested in her community, serving as the Chair of the Plano Family YMCA Board, Chair of CASA of Collin County, Young Professionals Chair for the Allen Chamber Board, and the UT Arlington Healthcare Administration Advisory Board Member. She is a recent graduate of Leadership Allen and serves as a Mentor for American College of Healthcare Executives.
Sharita’s experience in planning, design, outreach, and patient access has led her to a role where she thrives on solving complex challenges in the fast-paced healthcare environment, while also serving as a mentor to those around her.
Kathi Cox is the chief operating officer of the ambulatory and virtual channel at Texas Health. In her role, she is charged with thinking beyond traditional healthcare offerings and forging innovative new models of care for North Texans. Her role enables her to offer consumers new ways to better meet their needs while expanding Texas Health’s reach.
Kathi started her career with Texas Health over 30 years ago and advanced through various positions of increasing responsibility. Her work now includes building and supporting new models of care using both physical and virtual interactions, including urgent care, virtual visits, behavioral health and home healthcare. She brings a passion for the consumer experience and using technology to streamline operations. She recently was recognized as Outstanding Healthcare Innovator in the D CEO 2024 Excellence in Healthcare awards.
Prior to serving in her current role, she worked in hospital operations, information technology, and patient and family experience within Texas Health. This diverse background has provided her with a wealth of knowledge across the continuum of care that has been vital in her work to establish a seamless experience for consumers.
Kathi is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and holds an M.B.A. from Western Governors University.
As Director of Healthcare Planning, Julie Frazier, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP, has been working hand-in-hand with healthcare leaders for over 20 years, designing solutions to meet their needs for now and into the future. Julie works with healthcare facilities of all sizes and specialties and has a robust knowledge of patient care efficiencies and innovations leading to improved outcomes. She is a thought leader in the industry speaking and writing on innovative ways to plan the physical environment.
In her role, Julie tackles global design initiatives such as sustainability and resilience by championing the effort as co-director of the Perkins&Will’s Firmwide Resilient Design Taskforce to reduce risks and champion equitable healthcare for all. She’s driven by how research and metrics can be applied to produce continual improvement. Julie has been able to lend her time and expertise by leading committees and organizations who focus on an equitable workplace and industry. She led the American College of Healthcare Architects’ JEDI taskforce and is currently the President of the DFW Chapter of Women In Healthcare. She also serves as President Elect on the national board for Women In Healthcare. In her free time she serves as President for the Young Men’s Service League Wylie Chapter where she volunteers side by side with her sons teaching them the value of servitude along the way.
Whitney Higgins, BSN, RN is the Administrator and CEO of Baylor Scott & White Surgicare
Downtown Dallas, a nationally recognized ambulatory surgery center ranked #1 ASC in Texas by Newsweek 3 years in a row. With almost two decades of healthcare leadership experience and a clinical foundation in critical care nursing, Whitney brings a unique perspective that bridges frontline patient care with healthcare operations and strategic facility development. Whitney began her career in the Neurosciences ICU at UT Southwestern Zale Lipshy University Hospital, where she served in multiple leadership roles, including Assistant Nurse Manager and Rapid Response RN, contributing to the hospital’s Joint Commission accreditation and comprehensive stroke center designation. Her early clinical experience caring for complex surgical patients continues to inform her approach to healthcare innovation and patient- centered facility design.
Since joining United Surgical Partners International (USPI), Whitney has held progressive leadership roles including Nurse Manager, Director of Nursing, and now Administrator. She currently oversees the operations, financial performance, and strategic growth of Baylor Scott& White Surgicare Downtown Dallas, while partnering with physicians and health system leaders to expand surgical services and improve access to high-quality outpatient care. Most recently, Whitney led the full-cycle development and relocation of the center into a new state-of-the-art surgical facility, helping position the organization for the next generation of outpatient surgical care. Her work focuses on aligning physicians, health systems, and operational strategy to support the continued shift of complex procedures into specialized ambulatory environments. Whitney holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UT Health Science Center San Antonio, graduating summa cum laude, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is passionate about advancing innovative care delivery models that improve patient outcomes, enhance efficiency, and shape the hospitals and surgical platforms of the future.
John Klitsch has served as the President of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound since 2022. Prior to joining Flower Mound, John served as the Professional & Support Services Officer for Texas Health Hospital Frisco, a joint venture between Texas Health Resources and UT Southwestern Medical Center. John and his wife, Alex, moved to Dallas in 2011. They have been married for 18 years and have three children.
John began his career at CIGNA and has served in various, progressive leadership roles at Tenet Healthcare, Baylor Scott & White, and Texas Health Resources. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business from Lafayette College and a Master of Business Administration in Health Sector Management from Duke University.
John currently serves on the Boards of the Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce, Riverwalk Business Owners Association, and Timber Creek Business Owners Association. He is a member of YPO North Texas and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Scott Phillips is a healthcare executive with over 30 years of progressive experience in patient access, revenue cycle operations, and enterprise care navigation. As Vice President of Texas Health Connect, Patient Access and Navigation at Texas Health Resources, Scott leads system‑wide strategies to simplify access, improve patient navigation, and modernize the front door of care across one of the largest integrated health systems in North Texas.
Throughout his career, Scott has driven large‑scale operational transformation spanning scheduling, referral management, contact centers, and digital access channels. He has played a key leadership role in building multi‑entity scheduling and intake centers, implementing standardized quality and performance models, and deploying enterprise revenue cycle and access technologies—including Epic Prelude, Cadence, and Grand Central—across acute care hospitals, behavioral health, and ambulatory settings.
Scott is widely recognized for developing best‑practice models that have earned national revenue cycle recognition and for his ability to align operational needs with a consumer‑focused mindset. He is deeply engaged in enterprise innovation, partnering with clinical, operational, and technology leaders to advance referral management, navigation, and digital access strategies.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Texas Health Resources, 612 E Lamar Blvd, Arlington, United States
USD 27.80 to USD 91.43
