Hospice of South Texas, Victoria’s local not-for-profit hospice, recently announced their appointment of Michael Chavez as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Chavez replaces Dr. Tyson Meyer who served as interim CEO from September 1, 2019 until Chavez’s appointment in March of this year.
Michael and his family have been in the crossroads community for over 20 years. “When you are a local healthcare professional you become part of a family and can develop stronger influence within the community,” said Chavez. Michael grew up in Roswell, New Mexico and met his wife Diane Sagebiel while attending college. Diane and her family have lived in Cuero for most of their lives and attended school in Cuero and Meyersville. Their two children, Austin and Faith, have been involved in the community through 4H and church ministry activities.
Michael is a graduate of New Mexico Military Institute where he obtained a degree in Business Administration. “Attending a military school taught me the importance of honor, discipline, and achievement. At NMMI, one must be willing to invest the necessary time and effort, seek out and take the initiative which is very similar to the role of a CEO,” said Chavez.
Michael has been involved in several organizations throughout the crossroads area, including the Cuero and Yorktown Chamber of Commerce, Cuero Rotary, Dewitt Medical Foundation, Cuero Young Farmers, Dewitt County Farm Bureau, member of Lifeway Church in Cuero, 4H and FFA activities. He has learned that in a rural market, community involvement is key.
Michael’s passion is driven by his desire to help anyone that he crosses paths with and has always believed in treating others as he would like to be treated. His interest in the healthcare industry came when his grandmother/mentor was diagnosed with dementia and had to be admitted into a nursing home center due to her illness. During this time, she felt protected and situated in a place that truly loved her. At that point, Michael came to a decision that he wanted to lead a healthcare organization that created the same environment that his grandmother was exposed to. Michael has been in the healthcare industry for over 16 years. Michael started his career with Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in 2007 and was part of their family for over 9 years where he was mentored by several great leaders. “Working in the healthcare industry has been a blessing to me and my family,” Chavez said. “The community and organizations that I have worked with have really supported me and helped me grow.”
“The connections and relationships he and his wife, Diane, and his two children Austin and Faith have built over their two decades here in the crossroads areas have been nothing short of priceless,” he stated.
Michael has always believed in mentor leadership by nurturing and developing employees that want to grow and have the passion of wanting to care for others. During his time in the healthcare industry, he learned the importance of having team members that love their job and having leaders that support them.
“Today the healthcare industry is challenging. Team members come in every day dealing with life challenges and they need a leader/mentor that will help and guide them through life struggles. I’ve also learned by trusting God’s direction. In this industry, there can be ups and downs, but with God’s direction, you can jump back up and keep moving in a positive direction with faith. When you focus on the positives and you focus on appreciating others, it’s a win-win deal,” Chavez said.
“I am very excited about building a strong partnership with Hospice of South Texas family members, team members, volunteers and board members. This move is going to allow me to grow within my career, to learn more, so that I can find ways to help improve the overall quality of life for patients in the crossroads community,” Chavez said.
On March 14, 2022 Michael became the CEO of Hospice of South Texas, South Texas’s oldest local care provider and not for profit hospice. Thanks in large part to the lessons learned from his previous experiences in Long Term Care, Michael is excited to join and lead a passionate group of team members that believe in putting others first.
“I wanted to join the Hospice of South Texas team to have an opportunity to be affiliated with a non-profit organization that the focus is on enhancing the quality of life for their patients, family members, employees and the community. Being an employee of Hospice of South Texas is more than a career, it is a ministry,” explained Chavez.
“I would like to be remembered as someone that impacted the lives of others as a husband, father, co-worker and community leader. God, family, hard work and putting others first are what I have been taught to value. My family and I are very blessed to have this new opportunity and look forward to getting more involved in the community,” said Chavez. “The reason I got into this industry, was to see other individuals succeed and for others to be given the opportunities that I have been blessed with. There is strength in recognizing and appreciating the gifts of others – gifts that honor, respect, and care for those in need. Hospice of South Texas is a blessed community of compassionate medical professionals who share these gifts with everyone. I am honored to be a part of this exceptional team. I believe that by keeping faith in God’s plan, you will always come out ahead. When we walk with Him, we’re walking with someone who knows where He is going.”