Drew Bennett, GB'16, named hospital director at Baylor Scott and White Health

After seven years at Bon Secours, Drew Bennett, GB’16, says he received an opportunity that changed his life. 

“In May of 2018, I was presented with the amazing opportunity to relocate to Austin, Texas, with Baylor Scott & White Health to open and lead a small hospital just south of the city in Buda,” Bennett said. “The area is growing at a rapid pace, and with that growth more need for medical services. To open a new facility in this time when hospitals in many areas are closing or reducing services is a truly unique opportunity that I felt I couldn’t pass up.”

He has since moved to Texas and opened the first full-service hospital in the city of Buda, an Austin suburb that has exponential population growth, but before Baylor Scott & White (BSW), had no significant health services in the area.

“The experience with BSW has been great so far,” Bennett said. “We opened the hospital doors the morning of September 28, providing the first full-service hospital to the Buda community. The first month of operating a hospital is filled with some challenges and many successes. The team has been amazing and it is great to see that we are able to serve so many patients closer to home.”

He joined the team at BSW three months before the hospital was set to open, and spent the majority of his summer supporting the final steps of the implementation plan to include hiring and training a leadership team as well as front-line staff. He says his experience at The Richmond MBA has helped him navigate these projects and plan for the future.

“I have come back to many of the concepts I learned during the MBA program on a regular basis, whether that be establishing strategic vision and direction for our organization, setting up efficient processes, or developing the best organizational structure and culture in which our employees can thrive,” Bennett said.

Richard Coughlan, associate professor of management and one of Bennett’s former teachers, was thrilled to hear of his new appointment.

“This is quite a feat for someone so early in his career,” Coughlan said. Coughlan mentioned that Bennett’s path at Bon Secours helped prepare him for this role, and Bennett agrees.

“I was very fortunate to spend seven years at Bon Secours, where I worked with and learned from some truly amazing leaders. Many of whom I still reach out to for advice today. I started with the organization as an intern in 2012 and had the opportunity to work in a variety of roles from there,” Bennett said.  “In my last role, I led strategic operations and partnerships for the Richmond market. This primarily consisted of leading our efforts to collaborate with VCU Health as well as several operational functions of surgical services for the market.” 

He says the combination of the experience he gained from Bon Secours and the skills he honed during his time at The Richmond MBA helped him successfully transition to his new position at BSW.

“The Richmond MBA program taught me so much that has been applicable to my career, especially in this latest experience,” Bennett said. “Opening a brand-new hospital, we took the opportunity to promote a different model than your typical facility. We are making great effort to focus more on wellness and population health management. With that comes a great amount of opportunity to apply entrepreneurial principles and a responsibility to foster a culture of innovation.”

According to a press release, the full-service hospital provides 24/7 emergency care and comprehensive inpatient care, including diagnostic services, intensive care, surgical services, and more. The clinics offer primary care and specialty care services such as pediatrics, cardiology, chiropractic care, endocrinology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, podiatry, general surgery, and pulmonology. With an ability to add future services, the hospital and the clinic can meet the needs of Buda as the area's population grows.

You can learn more about The Richmond MBA program and our unique professional development experiences here.