JPS Health Network President and CEO Robert Earley announces retirement
In hopes of spending more time with family and taking care of his parents, Robert Earley, president and CEO of the JPS Health Network, announced Tuesday that he will retire from his position in March 2022.
“About nine months ago, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The very next day, my mom fell down and broke her hip,” Earley said in a video message to the 7,200 employees of the JPS healthcare network. “I now need to give 100 percent to my parents. I want to be the son to them, as they were the parents to me.”
Earley has led Tarrant County’s publicly-supported healthcare network for 13 years, including John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, the county’s only Level I Trauma Center and Psychiatric Emergency Center. Under his leadership, JPS Health Network has expanded and upgraded services including outpatient behavioral health offerings, telehealth, mobile street medicine, residency and fellowship programs for incoming healthcare professionals, according to a JPS new release.
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley thanked Earley for his years of service in a statement Tuesday afternoon and said he served with dedication and compassion.
“[Earley] was passionate about JPS. It wasn’t unusual to see him encouraging staff and greeting patients, while positioning JPS to combat the healthcare challenges of the 21st century,” Whitley said. “In addition to having the privilege of serving alongside Robert as a colleague, I have had the honor of counting him as a friend, and I know he will be dearly missed in Tarrant County.”
Whitley said Earley will leave the county’s healthcare network stronger and better prepared for its next chapter.
Earley has also served as a member of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Board of Trustees. In a statement, Stephen Love, president and CEO of the DFW Hospital Council, said Earley helped shape the council’s strategies within North Texas and especially Tarrant County.
Love also noted Earley’s work in advocating for Medicaid expansion and the renewal of the Medicaid Section 1115 waiver to the Texas legislature.
“His public service has certainly continued with his leadership at JPS Health Network,” Love said. “We thank him for his compassionate service, keen sense of humor and caring for some of the most vulnerable in our society.”
Dorothy DeBose, the incoming JPS board president, said Earley’s retirement brings sadness to the organization’s heart, but board members support the decision.
“JPS has had a wonderful experience under his leadership, and we will miss our treasure,” DeBose said in the release.
The Board of Managers is expected to announce a nationwide search for the healthcare network’s next president and CEO. The network offers comprehensive services including primary care, behavioral health and pharmacy at more than 25 community locations, according to JPS.
In his message to the staff, Earley said that the progress they have made together to improve the health of patients through compassionate care and upgraded services leaves a lasting legacy for not just him, but the entire community.
Staff writer Megan Cardona contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 12:40 PM.
