Noel J. Cárdenas, FACHE, Installed as ACHE Chair

For Immediate Release

CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2026 -Noel J. Cárdenas, FACHE, senior vice president/CEO, Memorial Hermann Southeast and Pearland Hospitals, Houston, has assumed the office of Chair of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Cárdenas was installed Saturday by ACHE's Council of Regents and succeeds the outgoing Chair, Michele K. Sutton, FACHE, president/CEO, North Oaks Health System, Hammond, La.

Board certified in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow, Cárdenas served as an ACHE Governor from 2022 to 2025, the ACHE Regent for Army from 2013 to 2015, and as president of the ACHE-SouthEast Texas Chapter from 2020 to 2021. He also served on several ACHE committees.

Before assuming his current role in 2020, Cárdenas was vice president, Operations/COO, Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital, Humble, Texas, from 2015 to 2020. Prior to that, he served in the U.S. Army and Texas National Guard in the following roles: CEO/hospital commander, Reynolds Army Community Hospital, Fort Sill, Okla., from 2013 to 2015; COO, Brooke Army Medical Center/Healthcare System, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, from 2010 to 2013; CEO/commander, 421st Multifunctional Medical Battalion, Wiesbaden, Germany, from 2008 to 2010; CEO/commander, Medical Task Force 421st Multifunctional Medical, Balad, Iraq, from 2008 to 2009; COO, Evans Army Community Hospital, Fort Carson, Colo., from 2006 to 2008; and COO, Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center, Fort Huachuca, Ariz., from 2004 to 2006.

In addition to his service to ACHE, Cárdenas is a board member of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, Pearland Chamber of Commerce, Brazoria County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Texas A&M University School of Public Health External Advisory Council.

He received the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Regent Award from ACHE in 2008 and 2023, as well as the Distinguished Service Award (2014) and the Exemplary Service Award (2016) through the ACHE Recognition Program. He also won an ACHE Governors Award in 2016.

As Chair, Cárdenas begins the second part of a three-year term preceded by serving as Chair-Elect and followed by serving as Immediate Past Chair.

About the American College of Healthcare Executives

The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of 53,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. ACHE's mission is to advance our members and healthcare management excellence. ACHE offers its prestigious FACHE^® credential, signifying board certification in healthcare management. ACHE's established network of 75 chapters provides access to networking, education and career development at the local level. In addition, ACHE is known for its magazine, Healthcare Executive, and its career development and public policy programs. Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its vision of being the preeminent professional society for leaders dedicated to improving health. The Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives was established to further advance healthcare management excellence through education and research. The Foundation of ACHE is known for its educational programs-including the annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws nearly 7,000 participants-and groundbreaking research. Its publishing division, ACHE Learn, is one of the largest publishers of books and journals on health services management, including textbooks for college and university courses.

Contact:

Randy Liss
Director of Communications
American College of Healthcare Executives
300 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 424-9417
[email protected]