School of Medicine names senior associate dean for clinical affairs

The Texas A&M University School of Medicine has selected Kathleen L. Forbes, MD, executive vice president and chief operations officer with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare System in Memphis, Tennessee, and vice chancellor of clinical affairs for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, to serve as senior associate dean for clinical affairs, effective Aug. 1, 2024.

In this role, she will promote and develop academic activities, partnerships and interdisciplinary collaborations that strengthen the clinical practice and partnerships for the School of Medicine.

Forbes brings decades of experience in academic, hospital systems and clinical practice environments, beginning with a faculty appointment at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. She was also a physician in a 28-staff-member practice she founded and led in Brook Park, Ohio. Prior to going to the University of Tennessee, she held senior faculty and executive leadership roles with institutions and health care systems in Ohio, New York and Illinois, as well as at the University of North Texas. She also teaches physician leadership and alignment strategies as a faculty member with the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a faculty member with the American Association of Physician Leaders.

In 2018, Forbes was recruited to serve in her current role, newly created to oversee all operations of the Methodist University Hospital and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, a $2 billion, six-hospital system with 1,800 beds and more than 15,000 employees.

Her many accomplishments there include developing several clinical co-management agreements with independent medical groups that enhance clinical outcomes, strengthening physician engagement with community practitioners and improving operational efficiencies; increasing the organization’s revenue from $47 million to more than $150 million in three years through a strategic plan that emphasizes performance metrics, partnerships and new clinical sites; and overseeing a $275 million expansion of Methodist University Hospital.

“As a physician deeply committed to advancing care delivery and improving rural health care access, I am honored to join Texas A&M’s School of Medicine,” Forbes said. “This institution’s dedication to innovation and excellence aligns perfectly with my vision of creating more equitable health care solutions. Together, we will drive transformative changes that ensure all communities, especially those in rural areas, receive the high-quality care they deserve.”

“Dr. Forbes is a transformational physician executive with broad experience in clinical care, academics, research and community engagement,” said Amy Waer, MD, Jean and Tom McMullin Endowed Dean of the Texas A&M School of Medicine. “Her focus on innovation, learning and research will help us make the partnerships and health care we deliver to Texans even more efficient and effective.”

Forbes earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University, a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas/Southwestern Alliance for Medical Management Education, and a medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio. She is a board-certified physician executive and a diplomate with the National Board of Medical Examiners and the National Board of Family Practice. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

Forbes is a former member of The National Leadership Institute Millennium Group and Chair of its Clinical Bullpen and is a member of the National Healthcare Physician CEO Roundtable. Other national memberships include the American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Association of Physician Leaders and the Business and Professional Women’s Association.