Leadership

Chief Executive Officer

Elias M. Armendariz, FACHE, joined HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in December 2024.

He has more than 30 years of healthcare experience and most recently served as the chief operating officer (COO) and ethics and compliance officer at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake. During his more than four years at HCA Houston Clear Lake, Armendariz made an undeniable impact by assembling one of the strongest operations leadership teams in the hospital’s history. Because of his efforts, HCA Houston Clear Lake has seen incredible growth in the cardiac, neuroscience and trauma services. Under his leadership, the hospital received approval for the master campus expansion plan in excess of $100 million in capital improvements.

Before joining HCA Houston Healthcare, Armendariz was a member of the senior leadership teams at Methodist Hospital Northeast and Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, which are part of the HCA San Antonio Division. He also previously served as Chief Nursing Officer, COO and Vice President of Operations at El Paso Children’s Hospital, and Director of cardiovascular and critical care services at University Medical Center of El Paso.

Armendariz received his bachelor’s degree in nursing from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and a master’s in nursing systems management from The University of Texas at El Paso. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives® (FACHE), which recognizes his expertise and leadership in the healthcare field.

Chief nursing officer

Jenn Bowman MBA, BSN, RN, joined HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland as the chief nursing officer (CNO) in November 2025.

Bowman is a seasoned healthcare leader with extensive experience in nursing operations, patient experience, and clinical innovation.

Most recently, she served as assistant chief nursing officer (ACNO) at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake. In this role, she implemented a navigated care team model in the emergency department, resulting in significant gains in efficiency, safety, quality, and overall patient outcomes. She also mentored nursing leaders while decreasing nursing turnover.

Bowman began her career with Ascension Via Christi in Wichita, Kansas, where she spent 10 years in a variety of nursing and leadership roles, including staff nurse in the emergency department, charge nurse/house supervisor, and director of service experience. Her work during this time established a strong foundation in patient-centered care and operational excellence.

She joined HCA Healthcare in 2016 as director of the transfer center, where she successfully transitioned the operation to an all-clinical model, ensuring HCA Healthcare's high-quality care began with the very first patient call. Bowman later advanced to vice president of patient experience for HCA Gulf Coast Division, where she played a key role in shaping and improving the patient journey across multiple facilities.

She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing and master's degree in business administration from Newman University in Wichita, Kansas.