Changing of the Guard - TIRR Memorial Hermann CMO Message

Throughout its nearly 70-year history, TIRR Memorial Hermann has had only four chief medical officers (CMOs) or medical directors. In September, when I officially transition from this role, which I have held for the past 18 years, P. Jacob Joseph, MD, currently our medical director for the international program, will become the hospital’s fifth CMO.

This continuity, which is unique for any organization, particularly in health care, speaks to both the people serving in this leadership role and TIRR Memorial Hermann as an institution. All of the CMOs throughout our history have had one characteristic in common: They all were fully committed to the long-term future of TIRR Memorial Hermann.

Dr. Joseph has been with us since the beginning of his career in medicine. He is well acquainted with the “TIRR Memorial Hermann Way” and the important services our care teams provide for patients.

Although I am moving on from my role as CMO, I will remain committed to TIRR Memorial Hermann and our unique approach to care. This transition will allow me to have more clinic time, helping our patients recover, but—first and foremost—it will enable me to devote more energy toward research, which as one of the “Four Pillars” of our organization remains a key component of what we do here.

Thanks to a generous $2.35 million grant from Houston’s Mary H. Cain Foundation, I will be working with our Mission Connect research program for traumatic brain and spinal cord injury to explore innovative treatments for patients with stroke. Our hope is that this work will yield interventions that can be used here at TIRR Memorial Hermann sooner rather than later, changing the lives of patients affected by stroke.

This kind of potentially groundbreaking research epitomizes what everyone here is focused on—finding the best way forward for TIRR Memorial Hermann and our patients.

Dr. Joseph shares that focus, which is why I believe he is the perfect person to be our next CMO.

Thank you for the memories, collaboration and support over the years.

Gerard Francisco, MD
Chief Medical Officer
TIRR Memorial Hermann

I am excited to begin my new role as chief medical officer (CMO) at TIRR Memorial Hermann, following in the footsteps of my predecessor, Gerard Francisco, MD, an outstanding leader and clinician. It’s important to note that Dr. Francisco will remain very much a part of the work we do here at TIRR Memorial Hermann, as this transition will enable him to spend more time on groundbreaking research and vital patient care.

Indeed, as I take over Dr. Francisco’s position, his are enormous shoes to fill; and I know this because my own history with TIRR Memorial Hermann dates back to the beginning of his tenure as CMO.

Back in 2006, as a recent graduate of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, I began working as a volunteer with TIRR Memorial Hermann’s Strength Unlimited^® Program, an adaptive health and wellness initiative designed to provide an enriched environment for individuals to optimize their recovery and create a path for lifelong health.

I continued to volunteer with this program, even as I started studying at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, with plans to become a primary care physician. However, that volunteer work ultimately changed the course of my career, exposing me to the important work of physical and rehabilitation medicine specialists.

Seeing firsthand the critical, impactful work these specialists do gave me a new vocation and brought me to where I am today, serving in a leadership position at this incredible place.

Becoming the new CMO is a significant change, both for me and TIRR Memorial Hermann.

There are undoubtedly many challenges and opportunities ahead. Still, the future is bright. I am excited to be a part of what promises to be a time of continued growth and development, one that will see us continue to enhance the services we provide for our patients and their caregivers.

P. Jacob Joseph, MD
Incoming Chief Medical Officer
TIRR Memorial Hermann