David Irizarry is the new chief executive officer of Valley Regional Medical Center, replacing Art Garza, who transferred to Del Sol Medical Center in January 2022. Irizarry will assume his new role March 14.

Irizarry began his healthcare career in 2002 with HCA Healthcare. He served as a volunteer at Rio Grande Regional Hospital for 10 years and most recently as chief operating officer of Rio Grande Regional Hospital. Under his leadership, Rio Grande Regional Hospital has grown in prestige and advanced quality care. Irizarry oversaw expansion projects of neuroscience and cardiovascular services, the growth of convenient high-quality access points like freestanding emergency centers, urgent care centers and a regional medical laboratory.

“David’s operational, management and clinical expertise will be invaluable to Valley Regional Medical Center as we work to build upon the success we have experienced over the last several years,” said Evan Ray, HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division executive vice president. “I know he will take his extraordinary talents and continue to meet the healthcare needs of the Brownsville community.”

Prior, Irizarry was the assistant administrator at Rio Grande Regional Hospital. He was successful in gaining approval of several capital investments for Rio Grande Regional Hospital. This includes $23.5 million for free standing emergency rooms and $26 million hospital emergency room expansion.

Previously, Irizarry served as administrator of the Rio Grande Regional Surgery Center. During his tenure, Irizarry coordinated a $900,000 upgrade, 14-percent volume increase within a year and increased earnings before interest, taxes depreciation and amortization by 91 percent year over year.

Irizarry holds a master of public health with a concentration in health policy and management from Texas A&M Health Science Center and a bachelor of science in biology and political science with a minor in history from The University of Texas Pan American. He received the HCA Innovators Facility Award representing Rio Grande Regional Hospital in 2014.

Irizarry  also co-wrote various journal articles in healthcare throughout his career. His leadership activities and organization memberships include but are not limited to the American College of Healthcare Executives, Leadership McAllen and a Fellow of the Exito: Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training.