DFWHC announces 2026 Young Healthcare and Kerney Laday, Sr. Trustee recipients. 08/18/2026 The DFW Hospital Council (DFWHC) announced today the 2026 recipients of its Young Healthcare Executive of the Year and Kerney Laday, Sr. Trustee of the Year awards. Graham Torres, vice president, operations at Children's Health, has been named this year's Young Healthcare honoree while Rev. Ralph Emerson of JPS Health Network will be the Kerney Laday, Sr. awardee. The awards will be presented during DFWHC's 78th Annual Awards Luncheon on October 16 at the Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center. The reception begins at 11:00 a.m., followed by the luncheon and awards from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. The Young Healthcare Executive of the Year Award honors youthful professionals who display the impressive abilities of future North Texas leaders. Nominees must be 40 years of age or younger and employed by a DFWHC-member hospital. This year's recipient Torres Joined Children's Health as an Administrative Resident in 2012. He has held a variety of leadership roles during his 14 years at the facility including Business Services Manager, Director of Ambulatory Operations and Vice President of Facility Operations. Most notably, Torres led the expansion of Children's Medical Center Plano. He served as operational leader for the project that expanded the hospital from 72 to 212 beds through the addition of a 400,000-square-foot inpatient tower. His efforts will allow the hospital to successfully serve the growing communities in Collin County and North Texas. The Trustee of the Year honor was named in memory of Kerney Laday, Sr., who served on the Texas Health Resources Board for a decade. The award was created in 2013 to honor trustees who have displayed excellence throughout their careers. Emerson has been a JPS Health Network trustee for more than 18 years. Throughout his tenure on the Board of Managers, including his service as Board Chair, Emerson has consistently challenged the organization to make decisions that improve the lives of Tarrant County patients. Among his most significant contributions has been his leadership in guiding the JPS Master Facility Plan, which was the largest investment in healthcare infrastructure in the hospital's history. Emerson played an important role in helping the public understand why the investment was essential, emphasizing that the Master Facility Plan was more than just a construction project, but an investment in the health of Tarrant County and its residents. As Senior Pastor of Rising Star Baptist Church, Emerson has dedicated his life to serving the people of Tarrant County through faith, civic engagement and a dedicated commitment to improving the health and well-being of his community. "With these awards, we are proud to acknowledge the extraordinary leadership of Graham Torres and Rev. Ralph Emerson, who have dedicated their careers to our community's health and well-being," said Stephen Love, president/CEO of DFWHC. "We are looking forward to recognizing their important contributions." During the luncheon, DFWHC will present the Distinguished Health Service Award to Duncan Webb, the Collin County Commissioner and former Board Chair at Medical City Plano. An additional highlight will be the presentation of the Boone Powell, Sr. Award of Excellence to Barclay Berdan, the long-time CEO of Texas Health Resources. As announced earlier this year, Berdan will step down in September as one of the longest-serving CEOs of a major health system in North Texas. Serving as keynote speaker will be Amanda Beard, an American swimmer and a seven-time Olympic medalist who has the distinction of being the second-youngest American medalist in history. The awards luncheon will be sponsored in part by Hall Render, Forvis Mazars and PwC. You can find Executive (Non-hospital) Sponsorships here. Hospital Sponsorships can be found here. For information, please contact Chris Wilson at [email protected].

Texas Health among people's 2026 Companies That Care list. August 12, 2026 Highest ranked healthcare system and top-performing Texas-based organization ARLINGTON, TEXAS, Aug. 12, 2026 - Texas Health Resources has been named one of the 2026 PEOPLE(R) Companies That Care by Great Place To Work(R) and PEOPLE magazine - ranking No. 6 overall, highest among all healthcare systems recognized and the top-performing Texas-based organization. The recognition represents Texas Health's highest ranking to date and its sixth time being named to the list, a highly competitive recognition based on extensive employee feedback and workplace culture benchmarks. Honorees are selected for their commitment to caring for employees, supporting families and making a positive impact in their communities. "Healthcare is a service delivered by people to people, making it essential that we cultivate a workplace where our employees can do their life's best work," said Barclay Berdan, FACHE, CEO of Texas Health Resources. "When we care for our caregivers, they are empowered to provide exceptional care to our patients and communities. We are honored by this recognition and grateful for the passion, commitment and excellence our team members bring to their work every day." - Advertisement - The list is based on over 1.3 million employee survey responses and data from companies representing the experience of more than 7.3 million employees in the U.S. Companies also submit essays that are validated by employee survey data. To be considered for the list, companies must be Great Place To Work Certified(TM) and have at least 10 U.S. employees. Discover more Business Operations Business & Industrial Texas Health employees benefit from comprehensive wellness programs, a generous 401(k) with company match and robust mental health resources, including free access to the Headspace app for self-guided support. Employees are also eligible for up to eight free visits with a counselor per issue, per year, through the Employee Assistance Program. Texas Health supports employees' career growth through leadership development, mentoring, continuing education and on-the-job skill building, along with student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement for approved degree plans. Team members who are new parents receive up to six weeks of paid parental leave and, if applicable, an adoption reimbursement of up to $10,000. In addition to paid time off, employees also receive an extra flex day off each year and are eligible for a paid day volunteering to support North Texas nonprofits. "This recognition reflects our commitment to fostering a workplace where people feel supported, valued and empowered to thrive," said Carla Dawson, chief people officer at Texas Health. "Our strong culture ties back to Our Texas Health Promise: Individuals Caring For Individuals, Together." Earlier this year, Texas Health ranked No. 34 on Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For list and No. 3 on the Great Place To Work(R) and Fortune Best Workplaces in Texas(TM) list. Texas Health also was named one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Culture, Belonging & Community 2026, according to an analysis by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group. - Advertisement - About Texas Health Resources: Texas Health Resources is a faith-based, nonprofit health system that cares for more patients in North Texas than any other provider. With a service area that consists of 16 counties and more than 8 million people, the system is committed to providing quality, coordinated care through its Texas Health Physicians Group and 29 hospital locations under the banners of Texas Health Presbyterian, Texas Health Arlington Memorial, Texas Health Harris Methodist and Texas Health Huguley. Texas Health access points and services, ranging from acute-care hospitals and trauma centers to outpatient facilities and home health and preventive services, provide the full continuum of care for all stages of life. The system has more than 4,400 licensed hospital beds, 6,400 physicians with active staff privileges and 30,000 employees. For more information about Texas Health, call 1-877-THR-WELL, or visit www.TexasHealth.org. - Digital Sponsors -

DFWHC announces Duncan Webb as the 2026 Distinguished Health Service Award recipient. 08/12/2026 The DFW Hospital Council (DFWHC) announced today that Duncan Webb will be the 2026 recipient of its Distinguished Health Service Award, an honor dating back to 1948. The award will be presented during DFWHC's 78th Annual Awards Luncheon on October 16 at the Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center. For more than 40 years, Webb has been a resident of Plano, Texas where he has been a practicing attorney. He is the sole shareholder of the law firm Webb & Webb, P.C. Today, he serves as the Collin County Commissioner for Precinct 4, a position he has held for more than 15 years. A leader of his community, Webb served on the Medical City Plano Board of Trustees for six years, serving as Chair from 2010-2011. Webb was also elected to the Board of Trustees of the Plano Independent School District, serving four three-year terms. He also served as President of the Board from 2005-2008. Webb has served on the City of Plano Library Advisory Board (Chair for two years); Assistance Center of Collin County Board (Chair for one year); The Classics Board (President for one year); Practical Parent Education Advisory Board; and the Plano Family YMCA Board. In 2020, he was honored by the Plano Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Plano with the Distinguished Leadership Award. Webb and his wife, Beth, have two daughters, Heather and Melissa, both graduates of Texas A&M University. The Webb family was honored by the Plano Family YMCA as the 1997 Plano Family of the Year. In 2009, the Plano Chamber of Commerce selected Mr. and Mrs. Webb as "Plano's Citizens of the Year." "I cannot think of a more accomplished and dependable community leader than Duncan Webb," said Stephen Love, president/CEO of DFWHC. "The North Texas healthcare community and Collin County are indebted to his decades of leadership. His life serves as an example for all community leaders to follow. We are looking forward to honoring him." The Young Healthcare Executive of the Year and Kerney Laday, Sr. Trustee of the Year awards will also be presented during the Annual Awards Luncheon. An additional highlight will be the presentation of the Boone Powell, Sr. Award of Excellence to Barclay Berdan, the long-time CEO of Texas Health Resources. As announced earlier this year, Berdan will step down in September as one of the longest-serving CEOs of a major health system in North Texas. Sponsored in part by Hall Render, Forvis Mazars and PwC, the event will begin with a reception at 11:00 a.m. followed by the luncheon and awards from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. For information, please contact Chris Wilson at [email protected].