In a decisive move mapping the future of San Antonio's healthcare landscape, University Health has passed the torch to a new leader, Edward Banos, who will step in as its President and CEO starting from July 1, the organization announced Tuesday.
Edward Banos, currently the COO and executive VP of the local health system, is gearing up to take charge after a nationwide five-month search for a successor was launched following present CEO George Hernández's intent to retire last year, Banos has been with University Health since 2015, coming with a portfolio that spans over 30 years across various health systems, his list of past executive roles reads like a roadmap through the country's health care hierarchy, having served as CEO of Duke Lifepoint Upper Peninsula Health System in Michigan, climbed ranks from COO to CEO at Superior Health Partners, and held various leadership positions at Tenet Health Corporation facilities throughout Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Texas.
The new chief is tasked with some pretty ambitious projects – he’s set to steer the expansion plans of University Health, which includes launching two new community hospitals and a pair of multi-specialty clinics in the next few years. "Ed has a deep understanding of our organization, a passion for our mission and the vision to take University Health to even greater heights," Hernández praised Banos in a statement obtained by the San Antonio Report.
Banos, who is entrenched in the local healthcare and business community as a member of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and with board stints at the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the South Texas Crisis Collaborative, will face the Herculean challenge of overseeing the openings of Palo Alto Hospital and Retama Hospital expected to welcome their first patients in 2027 and the early 2026 launch of two new clinics in the San Antonio area, according to University Health.
A graduate from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science in Health Records Administration and a master's in Health Service Administration from Armstrong Atlantic State University, now Georgia Southern University, Banos expressed his gratitude for the appointment, saying, "University Health is a special organization and it will be my great honor to lead this dedicated, compassionate and highly skilled team," he confirmed his readiness to build upon the foundation laid by Hernández and align with the institution’s well-rooted values. James Adams, Chair of the Bexar County Hospital District Board of Managers, underscored Banos's pivotal role in Hernández's leadership team, implying a smooth transition of power to help keep the scheduled projects on track.
