Leadership

 

Dr. Karen Duncan
President & Chief Executive Officer

Karen Duncan, MD, MBA, serves as the President and CEO of JPS Health Network, a public academic hospital licensed for 582 beds. JPS is the only Psychiatry Emergency Center and the longest-standing Level I Trauma Center in Tarrant County. JPS has the largest family medicine residency program and is the only hospital in the United States certified for stroke, heart attack, sepsis, and maternal levels of care.

Dr. Duncan leads the organization with more than 30 years of healthcare experience in administrative, clinical, and educational roles. As a visionary leader, she has successfully developed teams, driven innovation, operational excellence, and strategic collaborations. Dr. Duncan believes that by focusing on the patient, positive outcomes can be achieved for team members, patients, and the community.

Under her leadership, the organization has achieved several notable accomplishments. JPS has been one of the first five hospitals verified under the American College of Surgeons’ Emergency General Surgery Verification Program. The hospital has also established a public-private partnership with Cook Children’s Health System to build a new healthcare center in the Las Vegas Trail Neighborhood. Additionally, JPS has received designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the prestigious Pathway to Excellence Re-Designation Program. Committed to workplace safety, Dr. Duncan has led efforts to enhance safety and security across the network. JPS serves as the first healthcare system in the nation to implement new weapon detection and situational awareness software called Zero Eyes.

Since serving in the capacity of CEO, Dr. Duncan has led efforts to expand and renovate the JPS Health Network campus as part of the facilities expansion program, which includes an $800 million bond package. Under her leadership, the hospital has held two groundbreakings for the new Psychiatric Emergency Center and Medical Home Southwest established to enhance accessibility to behavioral health and primary care services for Tarrant County residents.

Dr. Duncan's impressive career includes executive leadership positions at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and the Cook County Health and Hospital System in Chicago, as well as over 20 years of practicing pediatrics and serving as Medical Director at Grady Hospital. Before joining JPS, she was a principal for Health Management Associates, a healthcare consulting firm providing consultation services for large publicly funded hospital systems, government entities, and managed care plans.

Not only is Dr. Duncan a nationally recognized leader in the healthcare industry, she is a devoted community member and active member of professional organizations. She currently serves as Board Chair of the Tarrant Area Food Bank and is a Teaching Hospitals of Texas Executive Committee member.

Dr. Duncan is the recipient of multiple awards, including being named D CEO Magazine’s 2022 Outstanding Healthcare Executive and Fort Worth Inc. Top 400 in 2022 and 2023.

Dr. Duncan received her MD from Emory University School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio. She completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in biochemistry at Smith College and completed the Executive MBA Program at Georgia State University.