Executive Vice President/Chief Innovation Officer
Houston Methodist
Executive Vice President
Chief Innovation Officer
Houston Methodist Hospital
Roberta L. Schwartz is the executive vice president of Houston Methodist Hospital — one of the founding institutions of the Texas Medical Center — and the chief innovation officer of Houston Methodist. As executive vice president of Houston Methodist Hospital, Roberta oversees all operations at the 1,020-bed hospital, which U.S. News & World Report named the No. 1 hospital in Texas for 14 straight years. The publication also listed Houston Methodist Hospital on its prestigious “Honor Roll” nine times. The hospital employs more than 3,000 medical staff and 8,000 employees. Roberta also participates in the strategic direction of the nine-hospital system and has oversight of multiple system departments, including information technology, pharmacy and laboratory.
As chief innovation officer, Roberta is responsible for advancing and expanding Houston Methodist’s digital innovation platforms, including telemedicine, artificial intelligence and big data. Roberta is the founder and leader of the Center for Innovation, which impacts all aspects of the organization, focusing on improving the patient and physician experience and operational efficiencies through innovation. With Roberta at the helm of the Center for Innovation, Houston Methodist has been named to Fortune magazine's list of America’s Most Innovative Companies for the past three years.
Prior to joining Houston Methodist, Roberta worked as the director of business development for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She was also a consultant and project manager for several academic medical centers for APM/Computer Sciences Corp. and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Roberta earned a master’s degree in health science from Johns Hopkins University and an honors undergraduate degree from Barnard College at Columbia University. She has a Ph.D. from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
Roberta is nationally recognized for her professional and nonprofit work. She was recognized by Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Women Leaders as one of its “10 Women to Watch.” She is involved in many nonprofit organizations, such as LifeGift, the Robert M. Beren Academy, the United Orthodox Synagogues and the Young Survival Coalition.
Leadership Insights: Fostering a Culture of Innovation—Lessons From Houston Methodist
Monday, March 2, 2026
10:00am - 11:30am CT