Less than three weeks after the sudden departure of Dr. Benjamin K. Chu, Memorial Hermann Health System has announced a new CEO to head its 17 Houston-area hospitals.

MHHS announced Wednesday afternoon Charles "Chuck" Stokes has been appointed to CEO after working within the hospital system for nearly a decade. Stokes previously served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer as well as interim CEO since late June.

“I am honored and humbled to work alongside our exceptional employees and talented medical staff as we fulfill our mission to advance the health of all Houstonians,” Stokes said in a statement. “In its 110 years of faithfully serving this community, Memorial Hermann has grown to become a nationally recognized organization with an unrelenting focus on providing enhanced access to the safest, highest-quality care, all at an affordable cost.”

During his tenure as COO, Stokes was named one of the top 25 COOs in healthcare by "Modern Healthcare," according to a statement. He began his career as a registered nurse and has worked in the healthcare industry for over four decades.

“Chuck has proven himself to be an outstanding leader during the course of his remarkable career with our organization, working tirelessly to guide Memorial Hermann on its journey toward becoming a high-reliability organization with a strong focus on innovation and transformation,” said Memorial Hermann board chair Deborah M. Cannon in a statement. “He has an unwavering commitment to our patients, medical staff and to Memorial Hermann, the latter of which has been instrumental in helping us transform our operational structure in order to meet the challenges and demands of a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.”