Lillie Biggins, president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, will retire effective next month.
The development was first reported on Friday by the Fort Worth Business Press, which said that Biggins’ last day at the hospital would be Jan. 4.
Texas Health Resources, which confirmed Biggins’ retirement and her last day at the hospital, emailed a statement to D CEO Healthcare by Kirk King, the company’s executive vice president and southwest zone operations leader
“Lillie is a shining example of servant leadership as evidenced by the innumerable contributions she has made to our community,” said King. “She has unselfishly put her heart and soul into serving those that matter the most—our patients and their families. By doing so, her inspirational leadership has elevated not only the people around her, but the high quality and compassionate care we deliver to our patients.
“Texas Health Harris Fort Worth and the Fort Worth community have greatly benefited from her clear and innovative vision toward advancing our mission and we are everlastingly grateful for her 20 years of devoted and faithful service,” King said.
According to the Texas Health website, Biggins, who’s an R.N., became president of the Fort Worth hospital in 2012—the first woman ever to hold that position. Prior to joining Texas Health, she’d held a number of executive and clinical leadership positions at North Texas facilities including John Peter Smith Hospital and Parkland Memorial Hospital.
A graduate of the John Peter Smith School of Nursing, Biggins earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington and a master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University in Denton. She’s served as board chair for several organizations, including Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
In a story in the December issue of D CEO magazine, Biggins told how she began her healthcare career:
“I knew I wanted to be a nurse, but I didn’t have any work experience, and I hadn’t gone to college. I was already married with four children, so I did whatever I could to get my first job at a hospital,” she said. “I started out as a housekeeper. Even at that time, I set out to be the best. I just thought if I’m going to be a housekeeper, I’m going to be the greatest housekeeper I can be. As I learned more and more at the hospital, I also started to learn in the classroom. …
“After all these years, one lesson sticks out to me,” Biggins went on. “What I’ve learned is that no job is too little. That stuck with me as I was moving up the ranks. When I was a nurse, I was the greatest nurse I could be. When I started in management, I was going to be the greatest manager I could be. So on and so forth. Every job is an important one. No matter what it is, you should give your best effort.”
