When patients walk through the doors of the UT Health Henderson Emergency Department, they can feel confident knowing an experienced and passionate leader is at the helm — someone who has dedicated her entire career to caring for East Texans.
Lee Ann Hein, Emergency Room Director at UT Health Henderson, began her journey in the 1990s as an LVN at the former Henderson Memorial Hospital, eventually earning her RN, and building her career from the ground up. Her early days as a staff nurse on the medical-surgical floor gave her a strong foundation in nursing.
“The med/surg floor teaches you the core of nursing,” Hein said. “That’s where you really learn. Back then at Henderson Memorial, we were cross-trained in so many areas — I had worked it all.”
That broad experience included occasional shifts in the Emergency Department, shifts that would ultimately shape her future.
“When you’re a nurse, at some point you’ll work in a unit and just know it’s a fit,” Hein said. “I fell in love with the ER. I love the fast pace, the variety of patients. In the span of an hour, you can go from prescribing medication for one patient to saving another in cardiac arrest.”
Promoted to ER Director in 2011, Hein sees nursing not as a job, but as a calling.
“My purpose is to make sure patients receive the care they deserve — care that honors their dignity,” she said. “And my team makes that possible. Their heart, dedication, and unity make every day better. I’m proud to lead a group that delivers compassion and excellence in everything they do.”