Lone Star Family Health Names Chief Business Officer

CONROE, TX -- The Lone Star Family Health Center Board of Directors has announced that current Chief Financial Officer and Interim Chief Business Officer, Karen Harwell, CPA, will serve as the Chief Business Officer.

“After the search committee completed its search of candidates for CBO, it was clear that we already had the right person for the job,” said Board Chairman Duke Coon, “Karen stepped up immediately when we needed her last year and has proven that her knowledge of our organization, dedication to our patients and staff, and ability to lead, make her our only option to continue our path of growth.”

The board made a strategic decision in 2016 to create two executive leadership positions for LSFHC.

Harwell was asked to fill the role of Interim CBO while the search committee did a national search for a permanent CBO.

The seven member committee reviewed and screened candidates four months before deciding that Harwell was their choice.

Harwell was hired in 2012 as Director of Finance for the non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center and has helped grow the organization from one location in Conroe to three fully functioning clinics with a fourth in the planning stages.

Since taking on the role of Interim CBO in August 2016 she, alongside Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lata Joshi, guided the organization through the creation of a new three-year strategic plan and a brand refresh while maintaining continuity in patient care, day-to-day operations and also visiting with elected officials in Austin to discuss future funding.

“When the Board of Directors chose to take Lone Star on a new strategic path, Karen made that transition as seamless as possible. She has been there every step of the way not only for our patients, but for our faculty and staff, assuring everyone that this organization has a bright future,” said Coon.

Harwell is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Master of Science in Accounting from Texas A&M University. She is a member of the Texas Society of CPAs and a graduate of the Leadership Montgomery County Class of 2015. She lives in Montgomery County with her husband and two children.

Photo courtesy of the Lone Star Family Health Center