Leadership

Brenda Ivory is the Chief Executive Officer at Harlingen Medical Center. She joined the nationally recognized and award-winning hospital in November 2005.

Ms. Ivory initially joined Harlingen Medical Center as the Director of Nursing. She then served as Vice President of Clinical Services and eventually assumed the dual role of Chief Operating Officer and Vice-President of Clinical Services. She assumed the role of CEO in November 2012.

Ms. Ivory launched her clinical career as a Registered Nurse. She has since held various leadership positions in healthcare.

David Glassburn is the Chief Financial Officer at Harlingen Medical Center. He joined the nationally recognized and award-winning hospital in September 2012.

Mr. Glassburn joined Harlingen Medical Center as the Chief Financial Officer after serving as an Interim CFO and offering consulting services to healthcare clients in acute and psychiatric hospitals in Kingwood, Texas. His consulting services have included operational reviews, business planning, pro-forma development & financial modeling, revenue projects and CFO assessments/mentoring.

Prior to his interim CFO & consulting career, Mr. Glassburn held several CFO positions in small to medium-sized hospitals in Texas and New Mexico. His first CFO position was in 1983 in Eagle Pass, working for Hospital Corporation of America (HCA).

Mr. Glassburn is an Advanced Member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He earned a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

Amy Flores is the Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Clinical Services at Harlingen Medical Center. She intends to continue building on the "patient-centered" philosophy the focus of everything she does in her role at Harlingen Medical Center.

Ms. Flores, who previously worked in intensive care units and taught nursing students, has been at Harlingen Medical Center for the past 12 years, including the past 10 years as Director of the Medical-Surgical and Orthopedic nursing units. She was instrumental in helping The Orthopedic Center at Harlingen Medical to earn a specialty accreditation in knee and hip replacement surgery from the national accrediting agency for healthcare facilities, the Joint Commission.

The Gold Seal of Approval for joint replacement recognizes Harlingen Medical Center for its dedication and expertise in offering life-restoring surgeries, which in many cases can help patients walk again without pain.

As Chief Nursing Officer, Ms. Flores oversees more than 200 nurses at the hospital Ms. Flores received a Master of Science in Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, from the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

J. Joel Garza, M.D., Interventional Cardiologist, is the Chief Medical Officer for the nationally recognized and award-winning Harlingen Medical Center.

Dr. Garza has extensive knowledge in the areas of quality of care, patient experience, clinical integration, and process improvement across the continuum of care.

Dr. Garza has been in private practice since 2004, joining first The Heart Clinic located in Hidalgo County (McAllen, TX) and eventually joining The South Heart Clinic located in Cameron County (Harlingen, TX), where he now serves his patients. The South Heart Clinic is one of the most highly regarded heart clinics in South Texas – for its patient clinical outcomes.

Dr. Garza completed an Internal Medicine residency, Cardiology fellowship and Interventional Cardiology fellowship at Baylor Scott & White Health, in Temple, TX. He earned a Doctorate of Medicine Degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and a Bachelor’s Degree from Texas A&M University in College Station. His teaching appointments include: Clinical Assistant Professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center – Regional Academic Health Center – Harlingen; and, Faculty-Assistant Clinical Professor Department of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center – Regional Academic Health Center – Harlingen and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Dr. Garza is a member, and fellow, respectively of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, with a specialty in Interventional Cardiology, and has more than a decade of clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, a leading service line for Harlingen Medical Center.