Homecomings come in many forms – whether it’s enjoying annual fall celebrations, connecting with loved ones, or a return to familiar roots.
Like Kathy Hinze, MSN, APRN, BSN, RN, many UT Physicians employees are products of The University of Texas System and don’t have to travel far for a homecoming.
Renowned education, local to Houston
Now executive director of clinical effectiveness and patient safety at UT Physicians, Hinze began her career at the university as a nursing student. Her family couldn’t afford to send her away for higher education, so she stayed close to home, where her mother encouraged her to go into health care.
“My journey into nursing was born from hardship, resilience, and a powerful sense of purpose,” Hinze said. “It quickly became my life’s calling.”
She graduated from Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston in 1992 with her bachelor’s degree and in 1998 with her master’s degree.
In all, Hinze spent a cumulative 10 years enrolled as a nursing student, taking classes part time as she also worked and raised three daughters.
Channel for compassion
She took her first job as part of the UT System at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) in Galveston.
“I had such a wonderful experience with UTHealth Houston’s nursing school and met so many wonderful people along the way, that I wanted to pursue a career within the UT System,” said Hinze.
Her focus on women’s health propelled her into the field of obstetrics.
In nursing, she found a channel to express her compassion for people who need care.
“I fell in love with UT System’s mission for health universities while working at UTMB,” said Hinze.
From nurse to professor
Hinze spent several years working in large hospitals and then returned to UTHealth Houston with a focus on teaching.
“I love to teach, and I really gravitate toward undergraduate students,” she said. “Teaching has always been part of who I am as a nurse, so I enjoyed that time.”
As a part-time instructor at UTHealth Houston, she taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses from 2002-2007 before returning to the hospital setting.
UT Physicians
In 2015, Hinze was looking for long-term growth, and she found herself again at the steps of UTHealth Houston – this time with the clinical practice of McGovern Medical School.
“It was a great opportunity. I brought 30 years of clinical experience to a business role,” explained Hinze.
Just a year later, she became the nursing administrator with the UT Physicians clinical operations department.
As the nursing administrator, she campaigned to bridge the gap between Cizik School of Nursing and UT Physicians, advocating that nursing students fulfill clinical rotations within the organization.
“My goal was to create that pipeline so we had students coming to UT Physicians,” said Hinze. “It wasn’t finalized under my leadership, but it was great to see this goal fulfilled later.”
In 2019, she took another step in her career with UT Physicians, becoming the director of clinical effectiveness and patient safety.
“Transitioning my focus to patient safety and quality care was a desire I’d had my entire career, so it was a great fit,” said Hinze.
In this role, she helped spearhead the effort to create an electronic reporting system for patient safety incidents.
Pandemic response
In 2020, Hinze was part of the leadership team that helped steer the university through the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. She worked tirelessly to manage the COVID-19 testing clinic while remaining steadfast and focused on patient safety across the clinics.
“Being in health care and with the university during this time was the greatest humanitarian mission of my career,” said Hinze.
Commitment to patient safety and building employee trust
In the summer of 2024, she was promoted to executive director of clinical effectiveness and patient safety. She also returned to teaching.
“Now I instruct our new hires on the importance of speaking up for patient safety and creating a culture of trust where people feel comfortable speaking up,” said Hinze.
Twice a month, Hinze welcomes the latest group of new hires. She skillfully and thoughtfully guides a group of 40 people through patient safety training.
“It’s a privilege to serve in this role and do it at UT Physicians,” said Hinze. “I am humbled and honored to work alongside individuals who dedicate their careers to improving health outcomes and saving lives.”
A system of success
As a student, Hinze knew she wanted to help people. As a practicing nurse, she learned how to protect patients. As an educator, she encouraged and promoted patient safety. And now, as an executive, she works daily to foster a culture of safety and continuous improvement – all of this within the same institution.
“As a native Houstonian, I deeply appreciate the educational and professional opportunities provided by UTHealth Houston and UT Physicians,” said Hinze. “Every day, I’m inspired by our impact, from implementing innovative solutions to improving patient outcomes to developing safer, more efficient systems that benefit patients and staff. It’s incredibly rewarding to know that our efforts are contributing to the health and well-being of our community.”
