Medical City Dallas names new executive leadership

Dallas, TX — Medical City Dallas has announced two new executive leaders dedicated to advancing clinical excellence and patient-centered care across its system of care.

Steven Merta, MD, FACOG, has been named chief medical officer, starting July 1. In this role, Dr. Merta will oversee quality, patient safety, risk management, infection prevention and medical staff services for Medical City Dallas, Medical City Children’s Hospital, Medical City Women’s Hospital Dallas, Medical City Heart Hospital and Medical City Spine Hospital.

Michael Lopez, RN, CEN, has been appointed chief nursing executive, effective June 2. Lopez will lead all nursing operations, with a focus on clinical excellence, patient experience, nurse engagement and professional development across the same facilities.

“These two exceptional leaders bring decades of combined experience, clinical expertise and transformative leadership,” says Jay deVenny, CEO of Medical City Dallas. “Their commitment to quality outcomes and collaborative care will further elevate our hospitals as the destination of choice for healthcare excellence.”

Dr. Merta most recently served as CMO of HCA Healthcare’s Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. Under his leadership, the hospitals enhanced care, expanded services and achieved high levels of physician engagement. He previously held leadership roles in the West Florida Division, including CMO of Memorial Hospital South Tampa. Board-certified by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Dr. Merta holds a Doctor of Medicine from New York Medical College and an MBA from the University of Tennessee.

Lopez most recently served as CNO of St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, a Level II Trauma Center and teaching hospital. He has also held CNO roles at the Heart Hospital of Austin and St. David’s Georgetown Hospital, where he led initiatives to enhance emergency department operations and improve nurse-physician collaboration. A 30-year healthcare veteran, Lopez began his career with HCA Healthcare as an ER patient care technician in Corpus Christi. He holds an MBA with a healthcare focus from Texas Woman’s University and a BSN from The University of Texas at Arlington.