Charles Mullins, MD, a cardiologist and longtime healthcare leader in Texas, died Dec. 4 in Austin at age 91, according to an obituary published in The Dallas Morning News.
Dr. Mullins served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and was a special research fellow at the National Heart Institute in Bethesda, Md. According to the obituary, he later directed clinical cardiology and the cardiac catheterization lab at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and later became its CEO. He held a faculty position at UT Southwestern, also in Dallas, and served on the Texas Governor’s Task Force for healthcare and cancer.
As CEO of Parkland Memorial, Dr. Mullins helped secure a landmark bond for hospital improvements. In 1981, he became executive vice chancellor for health affairs for the University of Texas System.
Dr. Mullins was named holder of the J. Fred Schoellkopf Jr. chair in cardiology at UT Southwestern in 1996, appointed Ashbel Smith professor emeritus in 2004, and was named professor emeritus of internal medicine by the UT System board of regents in 2019.
“Parkland Health extends its deepest condolences on the passing of Dr. Charles ‘Charlie’ Mullins, former CEO and a highly respected physician leader,” Parkland Health President and CEO Fred Cerise, MD, said in a statement shared with Becker’s.
“Dr. Mullins provided principled leadership during a pivotal period in Parkland’s history, helping secure critical investments that strengthened the hospital and its ability to serve the community. Known for his integrity and lifelong commitment to public service, his legacy endures through the institutions he strengthened, the physicians he mentored, and the many lives touched by his work.”
John Rutherford, MD, professor emeritus of internal medicine and former vice president of clinical operations at UT Southwestern, shared the following statement with Becker’s: “He was a very good clinician, exhibited outstanding leadership and deep clinical expertise. He had integrity and an unwavering commitment to service. He expertly led cardiology and the Parkland cath lab when he joined the faculty.
“In 2011, he reflected on the technological advances in medicine over his career, recalling that he once inserted pacemakers that were twice as large as a pack of cigarettes; pacemakers in the 21st century were about the size of a 50-cent piece.”
Joseph Hill, MD, PhD, former chief of cardiology and current director of the Moss Heart Center at UT Southwestern, shared the following statement with Becker’s: “Dr. Mullins is a legendary figure at Parkland and at UT Southwestern. A highly accomplished clinician, proceduralist and leader, he helped launch these institutions on a path to worldwide greatness. We owe Dr. Mullins our deep gratitude and respect, and we cherish his memory.”
