The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas has produced many achievers over the years. Israel Rocha is one of them.
“Israel Rocha has been a transformative leader not only at DHR, but across the region,” Board Chairman Dr. Carlos Cardenas said in a prepared statement. “He has helped increase our community’s ability to care for patients and has successfully led the hospital during times of rapid change in the healthcare industry.”
Head of Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Resigns
By NAXIELY LOPEZ Staff Writer | Brownsville Herald
EDINBURG — The head of Doctors Hospital at Renaissance will part ways with the institution at the end of the month to take a job as CEO of a major medical center in New York City.
Israel Rocha — who has worked for the nation’s largest doctor-owned hospital for more than seven years — announced his resignation to the board of managers Monday. Rocha, however, had been in talks with several of the higherups for about three weeks, he said Thursday.
“DoctorsHospital at Renaissance was an amazing place and it still is — great friends, educators, mentors, teachers, people that supported me all along the way,” he said. “They stood by me and were incredibly supportive, and it was a difficult decision for me to reach.”
Rocha declined to name the health system he will transition to, per a request from his new organization, but he will serve as a hospital CEO, he said after DoctorsHospital released a statement about his departure.
Rocha joined DoctorsHospital in 2009 as the government affairs officer and a member of the senior management team. He was named CEO in December 2013.
The Elsa native attended ColumbiaUniversity from 1996 to 2000 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in environmental management.
Rocha credits much of his health care expertise to the time he spent in Washington, D.C., working under Congressman Ruben Hinojosa as his chief of staff and legislative director.
“That’s one of the areas where I really did learn a lot about healthcare issues and different components of the health care policy reform when I worked for him,” he said.
Many in the community credit Rocha for recruiting physicians to the area and guiding DoctorsHospital though a critical period of expansion.
“Israel Rocha has been a transformative leader not only at DHR, but across the region,” Board Chairman Dr. Carlos Cardenas said in a prepared statement. “He has helped increase our community’s ability to care for patients and has successfully led the hospital during times of rapid change in the healthcare industry.”
The DoctorsHospital at Renaissance board tapped Cardenas to serve as the chief administrative officer once Rocha’s resignation becomes effective July 1.
Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia had nothing but praise for Rocha, whom he called bright and talented.
“I believe he was very instrumental in helping establish the new UTRGV medical school here in the Valley,” Garcia said. “He was also very involved in helping our area attract more medical doctors and medical research dollars.”
Rocha said recruiting physicians was a team effort.
“I think it’s easy to tell people to join a community and a health system that’s committed to caring and expanding access to care for patients in the Rio GrandeValley,” he said. “And I think that DoctorsHospital at Renaissance has done an amazing job to create a top-tier medical system here in South Texas, and I think everybody wants to be a part of it.”
Rocha said he will miss the people of the Rio GrandeValley the most, but he looks forward to seeing DoctorsHospital and the entire region expand.
“It’s an exciting time,” he said.
By NAXIELY LOPEZ Staff Writer | Brownsville Herald
EDINBURG — The head of Doctors Hospital at Renaissance will part ways with the institution at the end of the month to take a job as CEO of a major medical center in New York City.
Israel Rocha — who has worked for the nation’s largest doctor-owned hospital for more than seven years — announced his resignation to the board of managers Monday. Rocha, however, had been in talks with several of the higherups for about three weeks, he said Thursday.
“DoctorsHospital at Renaissance was an amazing place and it still is — great friends, educators, mentors, teachers, people that supported me all along the way,” he said. “They stood by me and were incredibly supportive, and it was a difficult decision for me to reach.”
Rocha declined to name the health system he will transition to, per a request from his new organization, but he will serve as a hospital CEO, he said after DoctorsHospital released a statement about his departure.
Rocha joined DoctorsHospital in 2009 as the government affairs officer and a member of the senior management team. He was named CEO in December 2013.
The Elsa native attended ColumbiaUniversity from 1996 to 2000 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in environmental management.
Rocha credits much of his health care expertise to the time he spent in Washington, D.C., working under Congressman Ruben Hinojosa as his chief of staff and legislative director.
“That’s one of the areas where I really did learn a lot about healthcare issues and different components of the health care policy reform when I worked for him,” he said.
Many in the community credit Rocha for recruiting physicians to the area and guiding DoctorsHospital though a critical period of expansion.
“Israel Rocha has been a transformative leader not only at DHR, but across the region,” Board Chairman Dr. Carlos Cardenas said in a prepared statement. “He has helped increase our community’s ability to care for patients and has successfully led the hospital during times of rapid change in the healthcare industry.”
The DoctorsHospital at Renaissance board tapped Cardenas to serve as the chief administrative officer once Rocha’s resignation becomes effective July 1.
Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia had nothing but praise for Rocha, whom he called bright and talented.
“I believe he was very instrumental in helping establish the new UTRGV medical school here in the Valley,” Garcia said. “He was also very involved in helping our area attract more medical doctors and medical research dollars.”
Rocha said recruiting physicians was a team effort.
“I think it’s easy to tell people to join a community and a health system that’s committed to caring and expanding access to care for patients in the Rio GrandeValley,” he said. “And I think that DoctorsHospital at Renaissance has done an amazing job to create a top-tier medical system here in South Texas, and I think everybody wants to be a part of it.”
Rocha said he will miss the people of the Rio GrandeValley the most, but he looks forward to seeing DoctorsHospital and the entire region expand.
“It’s an exciting time,” he said.
