CHILDREN'S HEALTH - Key Persons

Adam Melton

Job Titles:

Senior Vice President, Physician Operations for Children 's Health

Adam Melton serves as Senior Vice President, Physician Operations for Children's Health. In this role, he is responsible for strengthening outpatient clinical operations and integrating key clinical teams in a manner that advances the strategic and business objectives of Children's Health and the joint pediatric enterprise. He collaborates with physicians and leaders from UT Southwestern and Children's Health to improve health care delivery and access for the growing North Texas pediatric population. Prior to joining Children's Health in 2013, Adam has provided leadership and oversight for all aspects of physician practice operations and physician employment within Children's Health Medical Group. Prior to joining Children's Health, Adam held leadership positions at other large medical groups and health care organizations. Adam graduated from Texas A&M University where he received a Bachelor of Science in biomedical science. He also earned a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.

Amy Yeager - Chief Legal Officer

Job Titles:

Chief Legal Officer
Chief Legal Officer for Children 's Health

Amy Yeager serves as Chief Legal Officer for Children's Health. In her role, Amy oversees the strategy and direction for legal services at Children's Health.

Angela Cupp

Job Titles:

Executive Vice President, Finance
Executive Vice President, Finance for Children 's Health

Angela Cupp serves as Executive Vice President, Finance for Children's Health. In her role, she leads the development and execution of the health system's financial strategies, which are designed to drive the achievement of financial goals while increasing operating performance. She also oversees short- and long-term financial planning activities, as well as financial evaluations of the system's strategic endeavors. Angela joined Children's Health in 1997, serving in variety of leadership roles in finance and strategy. Most recently, Angela led the organization's efforts to develop an economic alignment model for the joint pediatric enterprise with UT Southwestern. Angela graduated from Tarleton State University where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration.

Ben Salinas

Job Titles:

Executive Vice President of Operations
Executive Vice President of Operations for Children 's Health Dallas
Executive Vice President, Operations, Dallas Market

Ben Salinas serves as Executive Vice President of Operations for Children's Health Dallas. In his role, Ben oversees Ambulatory Services, Lab, Radiology, Perioperative Services, Emergency Department, Food Services, Therapy Services, Family Support Services, Volunteer Services and Psychiatry at the Children's Health Dallas campus. Prior to joining Children's Health in 2013, Ben served as the Clinical Operations Manager at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta. Ben graduated from University of Texas at Austin where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in government. He earned a Master of Arts in public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Ben also earned a Master of Business Administration from Georgia Tech.

Brad Tate

Job Titles:

Chief Medical Officer, Northern Market
SVP and Chief Medical Officer, Plano

Brad Tate, M.D., serves as Chief Medical Officer for Children's Medical Center Plano. Dr. Tate is responsible for strengthening clinical operations and ensuring that providers have what they need to deliver the highest quality of care on the Plano campus. Dr. Tate is a highly acclaimed pediatric physician with expertise in pediatric hospital medicine. He has practiced as a Pediatric Hospitalist, a pediatrician trained to care for children during their hospital stays, since 2008. Dr. Tate graduated from Texas A&M University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in biomedical science. He attended the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston), where he earned his Doctor of Medicine and continued his training to complete an internship, pediatrics residency and partial pediatric critical care fellowship. Dr. Tate also earned his health care management executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Brent Christopher

Job Titles:

President, Children 's Medical Center Foundation

Brent Christopher serves as President, Children's Medical Center Foundation. He leads a team focused on fundraising in support of Children's Health and its components: Children's Medical Center Dallas and Plano, specialty centers and the Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern. Brent joined Children's Health in 2016, after 11 years of service as President and Chief Executive Officer of Communities Foundation of Texas, one of the largest community foundations in the country. During his tenure, Brent launched and grew North Texas Giving Day into a fundraising movement that has become one of the largest community-wide giving events in the country. Brent holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Public Administration and Economics from Baylor University. He earned his master's in political economy and political culture at the University of Nottingham in England. Brent earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law.

Brian Wagers

Job Titles:

Chief Quality Officer

Brian Wagers, M.D., serves as Chief Quality Officer for Children's Health. In this role, Dr. Wagers works directly with physicians and other clinical providers to create a systemwide, aligned vision for patient safety and quality. He oversees the ongoing process improvement and integration of quality and patient safety programs within hospital campuses and in other care environments throughout the system. Prior to joining Children's Health in 2023, Dr. Wagers served as served as Physician Director of Maternal and Pediatric Quality and Safety at Riley Hospital for Children in Indiana, as well as Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Wagers graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Hanover College. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He holds certifications in both pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine from the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Pediatric Medicine.

Cassandra "Cassie" Dike - EVP

Job Titles:

Chief Nursing Officer
Executive Vice President
Registered Nurse

Before joining Children's Health in 2022, Cassie served as Interim Lead Chief Nursing Officer at Kaleida Health in Buffalo, New York, where she led the tertiary pediatric hospital, maternity division and the development of Kaleida's nursing strategic plan, including recruitment and retention strategies. Cassie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from North Carolina State University, a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Louisville and a Master of Science in nursing in health care systems management from Loyola University New Orleans. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in nursing practice executive leadership from Wilmington University.

Chris Akeroyd - CIO, EVP

Job Titles:

Chief Information Officer
Executive Vice President
Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer for Children 's Health

Chris Akeroyd is Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer for Children's Health. Chris is responsible for leading all efforts of the Information Services groups in the organization. His oversight encompasses systems and technology, cyber security and health care technology management and support. Prior to joining Children's Health in 2015, Chris served as Director of Technology at UMC Health System in Lubbock, Vice President and Chief Information Officer for a national mortgage company, and Director of Technology Operations for the North American and Philippine divisions of a global telecommunications organization. Chris earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Texas Tech University. Chris' Health IT certifications include Certified Healthcare CIO and Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems.