Tenet Healthcare Corp.’s western region – which includes West Texas, New Mexico and a swath of California – will be led from El Paso by Nicholas Tejeda.

One of the largest for-profit hospital operators in the country, Tenet (NYSE: THC) has promoted Tejeda to group president, western region. He will continue to lead the company’s health care network in El Paso, The Hospitals of Providence, with the added responsibility of leading the New Mexico, Northern California and Orange County markets.

He is one of three group presidents in the company.

“It’s something very significant for the status of El Paso within the company that Tenet thinks so highly of what we do here in this market that this can be a hub for our operations in the western part of the United States,” Tejeda said. “It’s always been a market that’s strongly supported by Tenet, and I believe this will further strengthen the focus of the company on our community.”

On a recent Wednesday, as he was preparing to leave El Paso for an American Hospital Association board retreat in Carlsbad, Calif., Tejeda said his priorities in El Paso included the development of a new campus in East El Paso.

“Initially we will start by developing a medical office building, and then our focus there is to increase the number of physicians that are serving that rapidly growing community,” he said. “We want to strengthen our position as the provider for Far East El Paso.”

Tenet has purchased 30 acres off Eastlake Boulevard from Hunt Companies, where The Hospitals of Providence plans to build a medical office building. What happens after that, hasn’t been decided yet.

“We know that there really needs to be more physicians out there, so the medical office building will help meet that need,” Tejeda said. “Then we will work with community leaders to determine when or if a hospital is appropriate.”

Tejeda grew up in Wichita, Kansas. As a teen, he worked at his dad’s pharmacy as “director of product disbursement,” also known as the delivery boy.

With a master’s degree in health services administration from University of Kansas Medical Center and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Wichita State University, he got his first job as a hospital CEO when he was 32.

He arrived in El Paso in 2015 to head The Hospitals of Providence East Campus. He later oversaw the development of the Transmountain Campus, a $200 million project, and was promoted to El Paso market CEO in 2018.

Traditionally, executives in that position have been promoted to positions outside of El Paso. But Tejeda says he is happy he has been able to stay.

“Fortunately, the company has been very kind to me to allow me and my family to stay here because we wanted to,” he said. “We made that very clear. The kids love it, my wife loves it and I love it.

“Last month, when there was the Mega Millions jackpot worth over a billion, we bought one ticket. My sons said they wanted to win, but if they won, they just wanted to stay in El Paso.”