Robert Phillips

Dr. Robert Phillips is a seasoned healthcare leader and educator with a track record of driving excellence. At Rice University, he’s focused on shaping the next generation of leaders — blending humor, hard-won lessons and real-world insights to help students excel in healthcare and beyond.

Before joining Rice, Dr. Phillips served as executive vice president and chief physician executive at Houston Methodist, where his decade-long leadership helped the institution consistently rank among the nation’s best in quality, patient safety, overall patient care and financial success. As president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Physician Organization, he turbocharged growth by doubling sites of care, tripling revenue and boosting patient satisfaction to the 98th percentile.

Concurrent with his role at Rice, Dr. Phillips is a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Prior to these appointments, Dr. Phillips was a professor at Mount Sinai, New York University and The University of Massachusetts, where his leadership improved survival and outcomes in cardiovascular care. With over 180 publications ranging from molecular biology to disaster management and a tenure as editor of America’s Healthcare Transformation: Strategies and Innovations, his work reflects a passion for improving healthcare delivery and financial success.

His honors include graduating first in his class from Mount Sinai’s medical school, the American Heart Association’s Heart of Gold and Torch of Strength awards, and the Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO Award. In 2023, he received Press Ganey’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his career focus on improving the patient experience.

Dr. Phillips is excited to share his experience, inspire new ideas, and, with any luck, tell a few jokes that land.