Jesus Garza, the president and CEO of Seton Healthcare Family, will retire Aug. 1, according to an announcement Thursday from the Austin-based health care provider. Garza also serves as Texas ministry market executive for Ascension, the parent organization of Seton, and as senior vice president for Ascension Healthcare. “Jesus has been a blessing to our ministry for many years, and to the people of Texas for much longer,” said Patricia Maryland, president of health care operations and chief operating officer for Ascension Healthcare, in a statement. “The leadership of Ascension thanks him for sharing his gifts to advance our mission and wish him all the best as he prepares the ministry for his departure this summer.” A nationwide search for a replacement is underway, according to Seton. Garza initially joined Seton in 2002 and oversaw University Medical Center Brackenridge as well as Seton's Highland Lakes, Edgar B. Davis and Shoal Creek hospitals. He later served as Seton's chief operating officer before being appointed to the top executive role in 2013. Garza's recent efforts with Seton included establishing a partnership with Central Health and The University of Texas to build Dell Seton Medical Center, which is slated to open in May and will serve as a teaching hospital for The University of Texas Dell Medical School. "The new academic medical center will be the public facing part of intensive collaboration among very different organizations that share our desire to create better value for consumers of health care," Garza said in a statement. "I’m delighted that it also represents something of a capstone for my efforts to serve the people of Central Texas, especially those living in poverty or otherwise vulnerable." Prior to entering health care, Garza worked in a variety of leadership positions in government, including stints as deputy general manager for the Lower Colorado River Authority, Austin's city manager and executive director of the Texas Water Commission.