Leadership

Ken Hutchenrider joined Methodist Richardson Medical Center as President in July, 2010.

He has more than 25 years of executive experience with a result oriented record of substantially increasing financial stability and strengthening team management to build a tradition of providing the best care possible to the communities served.

During his tenure, Ken administered the assimilation of the hospital into the Methodist Health System, as well as the development of a $120M replacement hospital and its subsequent and ongoing expansions. Pam Stoyanoff, Chief Operations Officer of Methodist Health System has said “Ken is an outstanding leader with a proven track record in operational excellence.”

Additional accomplishments include the establishment of a new wound care center, recruitment and stabilization of the NICU physician group, development of the Da Vinci surgical program, and the successful recruitment/employment of new medical staff members. Under his direction, Methodist Richardson has received accreditations as a Chest Pain Center, a Stroke Center, and achieved nursing Pathway to Excellence.

Prior to July 2010, Ken served as the Chief Executive Officer of Galesburg Cottage Hospital, in Galesburg, Illinois. There, he successfully and effectively managed all facets of the 173 bed acute care facility, including a skilled nursing unit, inpatient psychiatric unit, a joint venture outpatient therapy unit, and a joint venture dialysis unit.

Previously in his career, Ken served in executive roles including Chief Executive Officer of the Terre Haute Regional Hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas. Ken started his career in a clinical position as a Paramedic Shift Supervisor in Pasadena, Texas.

Ed Abbott was promoted to Vice President Finance in January 2018. Mr. Abbott has more than 20 years of healthcare finance experience. He joined Methodist Health System in 2013. Prior to being named Vice President Finance, he served as the Director of Hospital Accounting for Methodist Charlton Medical Center and Methodist Richardson Medical Center.

Prior to joining Methodist, he has held various finance positions including accounting, financial analyst clinical research, decision support, and budget manager. Mr. Abbott’s healthcare career began with the role of Medicare Auditor with Aetna Life Insurance.

His functional responsibilities include oversight of the financial operations of the hospital, the coordination of the capital and financial planning process, provide financial leadership for strategic and operational management decisions, and the development of the hospital’s operating budget.

Mr. Abbott is a native of Illinois and graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from the Bradley University in Peoria.

Irene Strejc RN BSN MPH CENP is currently Vice President Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer at Methodist Richardson Medical Center in Richardson, Texas. She has served in that capacity since October 2010. Irene has held Chief Nursing Officer positions across the country over a thirty year career. She is experienced in the design on patient care delivery systems, patient experience program management, recruitment and retention system development, leadership coaching and mentoring and hospital operations. She has served as Chief Nursing Officer in both the private and for profit sector.

Irene serves on the board of the YMCA in Richardson Texas, is a member of Altrusa International a community service organization. She was a nominee for Nurse Executive of the Year in 2012 from the D Magazine organization. She also serves on the American Organization of Nurse Executrices Certification Exam Review Board and participates in the design and testing of the exam material used to certify Nurse Executives in their practice.

Irene is a native of Illinois and received her BSN and MPH from Benedictine College in Lisle, Illinois. She also served on the national council of nurse executives for Community Health Systems, a twelve member advisory group for nursing practice oversight in 125 facilities.

Irene has serve on the boards of multiple schools of nursing at the community college level and four year universities as well. She is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives and the Texas Organization of Nurse Executives as well.

Mark C. Smith, MD, FACS is the Chief Medical Officer at Methodist Richardson Medical Center. As CMO, his responsibility is to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care possible by hiring, evaluating, and training new physicians. He also works closely with hospital staff, department directors, and administration. He oversees the implementation of quality improvement efforts designed to improve clinical performance and maintain compliance with The Joint Commission and other accreditation standards. Dr. Smith received his medical degree from The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, where he also did his general surgery residency. As a general surgeon, he specialized in laparoscopic procedures. Dr. Smith has participated in Methodist Health System’s Leadership Academy, and currently serves on the board of directors for the non-profit group BCFS, based in San Antonio, TX.

Emily Fletcher moved to Dallas in 2001, where she began a career in healthcare. Right out of college, she took her first job as an agency healthcare recruiter. This is where Emily picked up a very diverse set of skills that would later prove to be extremely valuable in her career. Equipped with unwavering persistence, in February of 2007, she joined Richardson Regional Medical Center as the Director of Physician Services; responsible for recruiting physicians to the community. In 2009, when Methodist Health System acquired Richardson Regional, she transitioned to a new role as Director of Physician Development, and focused her efforts on physician relationships and new business development.

As a part of the Methodist family and a resident of the city of Richardson, Emily is both professionally and personally invested in the hospital’s mission to provide compassionate and quality health care. Her role as Fund Development Chair on the Methodist Richardson Foundation Board is a further extension of her commitment to Methodist Richardson Medical Center and the patients that they care for. Outside of work, Emily coaches basketball, volunteers with her daughter’s Girl Scout troop and spends quality time with her family.

As the Director of Community and Public Relations, Jan Arrant loves to tell the stories of the great successes at Methodist Richardson Medical Center. She joined Methodist in 2015, after a 29-year career in television journalism.

The driving force for her has always been to do just one thing – make a difference. For many years, that involved giving viewers information they needed to make decisions about their daily life. After transitioning to healthcare, Jan has found her life motto still applies; only now, it’s giving people information they need to make decisions about their health and wellness.

Jan is very involved in the community and serves on the Richardson and Wylie Chamber of Commerce boards. She is also active in Leadership Richardson.

When Jan’s not at work, you’ll probably find her working in the yard, or in the kitchen. She’s a foodie at heart and loves to experiment. She thinks every recipe needs just a little “tszujing”!