Hendrick Trustee awarded highest honor by Texas Hospital Association

Scott Hibbs, Hendrick Health Board of Trustees member and former board chair, has been awarded the Texas Healthcare Trustees’ Founders' Award for his exemplary record of leadership, dedication and excellence in healthcare governance. The Founders' Award is the highest honor bestowed to a trustee.

“Every community hospital board needs a person like Scott Hibbs,” said David Morris, former Hendrick board chair. “His years of service to Hendrick reflect a deep love and commitment for our organization and its mission. His wisdom, business acumen and character define him as a leader.”

After graduating from Texas Tech University with a civil engineering degree, Hibbs began his career as a water resource consultant. In 1992, he began a second, volunteer career when elected to the Hendrick board. He has since served with three CEOs at Hendrick Health.

“I have had the privilege to serve on the board with Scott for 18 years,” said J.V. Martin, former Hendrick board member and chair. “He is a strong leader who is willing to serve in every capacity. He has been hesitant to serve on multiple boards at once, because of his devotion to the Hendrick board and is dedicated to giving his best to the organization.”

Hibbs has served as board chair from 1998 – 2001 and again from 2004 – 2006. He was re-elected as a trustee in 2014 and served as chair from 2014 – 2015 and 2019. He has also served on the Hendrick Medical Center Foundation Board. Hibbs, along with the board, has engineered generations of leadership at the institution. He served as chair for two of Hendrick Health’s CEO search committees, 14 years apart, to hire both the fourth and fifth CEOs in the organization’s 97-year history.

“Scott is a real consensus builder,” said Brad Holland, president and CEO of Hendrick Health. “He has his own opinions but always listens to others. Scott has a passion and commitment to Hendrick, and he adjusts his life to serve it,”

Hibbs has played an integral role in countless projects for the organization, including leading the board in the decision-making process to pursue Project 2010, the organization’s largest construction project that grew the campus to 10 times its original size. In 2019, as chair of the board, Hibbs was instrumental in shepherding Hendrick Health through difficult processes and decisions that allowed the institution to expand the region’s access to healthcare and extend its mission by purchasing two nearby hospitals — one on the south side of Abilene and one in Brownwood.

“Scott’s dedication and vision for Hendrick Health is seen everywhere we look — on our main campus, on the south side of Abilene and now in Brownwood,” said Larry Smith, Hendrick board chair. “Our hospital and community are truly blessed to have a man of Scott Hibbs caliber, dedication and integrity.”

At a national level, Hibbs was a trustee representative for the American Hospital Association (AHA) Regional Policy Board (Region 7) and participated in AHA’s Trustee Leadership Network. He has served as a board member and chair of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, the Abilene Industrial Foundation and the Community Foundation of Abilene.