Ascension Texas is excited to announce the appointment of Adam Messer, MPH, as President of Dell Children’s, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center and Dell Children’s Medical Center North Campus. After leading Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, Adam was named President of Dell Children’s for his leadership, experience and vision for both of the children’s hospitals.
“We are thrilled for Adam to continue to serve our ministry and ensure we remain steadfast in our mission of providing our patients with comprehensive and high-quality care right here in Austin,” said Andy Davis, President and CEO, Ascension Texas. His experience in hospital operations, quality improvement, working in complex academic healthcare settings and physician practice management make him an ideal selection as President of Dell Children’s Medical Center. “Adam has already made an incredible impact at Ascension Texas and I look forward to seeing him execute on his strategic vision for our hospitals.”
I'm humbled and honored to continue to lead our pediatric hospitals and serve our patients, staff and physicians,” said Adam Messer, Dell Children’s Medical Center President. “Our hospitals have become a destination for families who are seeking world-class care, and I’m committed to ensuring we continue that mission as the only nationally ranked comprehensive care destination for children in Central Texas.”
During his tenure at Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas. During his tenure, he oversaw a facility with 240 licensed beds, 1,370 employees, 53,000 annual emergency department visits, 13,000 surgeries, and 11,000 admissions along with 193 resident and fellow physicians. With Dell Seton as the primary teaching hospital for Dell Medical School, Adam Messer held the responsibility for the graduate medical education programs for training nearly 450 residents and fellow physicians. During his tenure, Dell Seton expanded by 30 new beds and opened the region’s only neuro-critical care unit in Central Texas.
Before joining Ascension Texas, Messer served as the Enterprise Vice President of Service Lines for Jefferson Health. As a key member of the executive leadership team, he oversaw the strategy and operations of clinical services lines for a large academic medical center and an 18-hospital health system that provided more than 2.5 million outpatient visits. In this role, he led the development and implementation of strategic, financial and operational plans, providing visionary leadership, fostering high performance, and propelling exceptional quality aligned with the organizational mission, vision and objectives.
Messer earned his Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University and continued his education at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, where he earned his Master of Public Health degree.
Dell Children's is nationally ranked in behavioral health, cardiology and heart surgery, neonatology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and pulmonology by the U.S. News & World Report 2024-25. As a Level I Trauma Center, Dell Children's provides quality care and most comprehensive emergency trauma care for critically injured children and adolescents in our region.
About Ascension Texas
In Texas, Ascension operates Ascension Providence in Waco and Ascension Seton, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center, the region’s only comprehensive children’s hospital and pediatric Level I trauma center, and Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, the region’s only Level I trauma center for adults. Ascension Seton partners with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and shares a common vision of transforming healthcare through a focus on quality and value. Serving Texas for more than 120 years,
Ascension is one of the nation’s leading non-profit and Catholic health systems, with a Mission of delivering compassionate, personalized care to all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2024, Ascension provided $2.1 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Across 17 states and the District of Columbia, Ascension’s network encompasses approximately 128,000 associates, 33,000 affiliated providers, 118 wholly owned or consolidated hospitals, and 34 senior living facilities. Additionally, through strategic partnerships, Ascension holds an ownership interest in 16 other hospitals. Visit www.ascension.org and www.dellchildrens.net.
About Dell Children’s Medical Center
Dell Children’s Medical Center is the region’s only comprehensive children’s hospital and pediatric Level I trauma center. It is also Austin’s original children’s hospital that was established through the efforts of local pediatricians and has continuously maintained a focus to provide the best care available to Central Texas children. The collaboration with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas has fueled the growth of top-tier pediatric programs such as The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease. This program is comprised of physicians and advanced practitioners employed by Dell Medical School and physicians, nurses and support staff employed by Dell Children’s Medical Center. This group, when combined, totals almost 400 healthcare professionals dedicated to the care of the most vulnerable children and is a testament to the success of the partnership between Dell Medical School and Dell Children’s Medical Center. This partnership allows not only for development of the highest level of care available in Central Texas but also creates an environment that advances the available treatments used to care for children. Visit www.dellchildrens.net.
