Irene Helsinger brings to Newport a strong background as an operating executive in the healthcare industry, specifically hospitals.
She was a senior executive in one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems, St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, for over 20 years. In that time Irene rose to senior positions in Human Resources and then to Chief Administrative Officer and ultimately Chief Operating Officer of its most prestigious affiliate. At St. Luke’s she was responsible for achievements in such key areas as organization design, productivity improvement, cultural transformation, building employee engagement, talent development, rewards programs and startup development including joint ventures with physicians.
After overseeing the development and construction of a community hospital, she was selected as Chairman of the Board.
Irene also served as COO of the Texas Heart Institute, involved in design and development of systems to expand the Institute’s services. She also collaborated with officials in China and institutions in other major countries to establish a Health Village in Abu Dhabi.