Hendrick Health renames Hendrick Medical Plaza to honor former CEO

The Hendrick Health Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the dedication and renaming of Hendrick Medical Plaza to Lancaster Medical Plaza in honor of Tim Lancaster, former Hendrick Health president and CEO.

“There’s no better representative of Hendrick Health than Tim Lancaster,” said Joe Melson, chair of Hendrick Health Board of Trustees. “During his tenure, he demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our mission of delivering high quality healthcare consistent with the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Renaming this building is a testament to the lasting impact that Tim had on our organization and represents a small token of appreciation for his outstanding leadership.”

Hendrick Health opened the Medical Plaza in 2015. Services at the 38,000-square-foot facility include the Hendrick Emergency Care Center Plaza, physicians’ offices, laboratory services, radiology services and physical therapy.

Lancaster served as president and CEO of Hendrick Health from 2004-2018, capping a 35-year career in healthcare administration. He was the fourth individual to serve Hendrick as CEO since its founding in 1924.

“Tim has left a lasting legacy at Hendrick and will always be part of the Hendrick family,” said Melson.

After leadership roles at healthcare facilities in Lubbock, Dallas and Snyder, Lancaster served as a senior vice president at Hendrick from 1994 to 1998. Lancaster then spent nearly six years as the CEO at Brownwood Regional Medical Center, until he returned to Hendrick as president and CEO in 2004.

As Hendrick Health’s president and CEO, Lancaster demonstrated executive leadership and strategic planning abilities in overseeing monumental expansions in services and facilities. He led by example in championing a culture of accountability that embodied the Baptist-affiliated health system’s Christian heritage.

Lancaster was instrumental in the initiation and completion of Project 2010, the largest expansion in the health system’s history. Following the conclusion of that campaign, Hendrick added a freestanding hospice center near Hendrick Medical Center and a medical plaza and emergency center in south Abilene. Lancaster also oversaw efforts to strengthen healthcare in the region, with the openings of an outpatient surgery center and medical plaza in Brownwood.

In addition, Lancaster worked closely with community leaders on various projects to benefit Abilene and the surrounding area. He played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s Abilene Campus programs, including the addition of the School of Pharmacy, the School of Nursing, the School of Public Health and the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health at Abilene.

With his service-oriented mindset, Lancaster shared his leadership skills with state and national organizations, including Texas Hospital Association, American Hospital Association, Texas Association of Healthcare Volunteers and American College of Healthcare Executives. During his tenure as chair of Texas Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees, Lancaster represented 500 hospitals across the state.

Outside of healthcare, Lancaster volunteered his time working with many civic organizations, including the Abilene Chamber of Commerce and First Baptist Church. He was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2013 as vice chair and later as chair at Texas Tech University System Board of Regents.

In 2017, Texas Hospital Association awarded Lancaster the “Earl M. Collier Award for Distinguished Health Care Administration” – an honor named after Hendrick Health’s first president and CEO. He also was recognized as the “2018 Outstanding Citizen of the Year” by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce.

Lancaster considered the best part of leading Hendrick to be the people he had the privilege of working with – from physicians to nurses to nonclinical staff and everyone in between. He credited Hendrick Health’s legacy to the employees who live out the Hendrick mission to meet the healthcare needs of Abilene and the region.