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Chanda Cashen President, Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus[/caption]
Chanda Cashen Chacón has been with Texas Children’s Hospital for 13 years and began serving as president of the West Campus in January.
A native Texan, she came to the hospital system after attending graduate school at Yale University. She said she began her career with Texas Children’s Hospital as an administrative fellow. Before moving to West Campus, she was involved in outpatient operations in the Texas Medical Center as well as its pharmacy, Heart Center and Fetal Center.
Her pursuit of a career in health care stemmed from a bad experience in adult medical settings when she was a child, Cashen Chacón said. At age 11 she was in a car accident that left her temporarily unable to walk. She relied on a wheelchair and was in chronic pain, she said. For two years medical professionals could not figure out what was wrong.
Her family eventually found an orthopedic surgeon who was good at working with children. He brought two Shetland sheepdogs to her first appointment and spoke directly to her, Cashen Chacón said. He also correctly diagnosed and treated her cracked vertebral discs.
