Methodist Hospital Westover Hills appoints chief nursing officer

San Antonio, Texas ― Methodist Hospital Westover Hills is pleased to announce that April Tolson has accepted the position of Chief Nursing Officer. Tolson is a diverse healthcare leader passionate about improving the lives of patients and healthcare workers while fostering a strong culture that values teamwork and collaboration.

Tolson joined Methodist Healthcare in 2008 and has held numerous leadership roles throughout her tenure. She most recently served as Associate Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO) of Methodist Children’s Hospital and Women’s Services where she supported nursing operations, program development, and performance improvement for 14 departments including surgical services, women’s services, and pediatrics. Under her leadership, Tolson was successful in the re-designation of NICU Level 4 and Maternal Level 4. She also supported nursing and surgical growth for the pediatric congenital heart program, which included the PICU and CVOR. She also decreased induction delays by 63 percent while increasing deliveries by five percent year-over-year.

“April’s commitment to drive performance, coupled with her experience as a dynamic healthcare leader is certain to fuel the passion of our nurses as we continue to provide high-quality and compassionate care to our community,” said Megan Amalakuhan, Chief Executive Officer of Methodist Hospital Westover Hills. “I am excited to welcome her as our Chief Nursing Officer and know her leadership will provide incredible value in recruiting and retaining top nursing talent while elevating our continued journey to excellence.”

Prior to her role as ACNO, April served as Vice President of Surgical Services for Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital where she provided oversight to 35 operating rooms and 380 full-time team members, which supported the more than 18,000 surgical cases performed annually. She successfully increased enhanced surgical recovery from 22 percent to 83 percent, and she was instrumental in growing the campus’ robotic program to 11 surgical robots.

“I am thrilled to join the team at Methodist Hospital Westover Hills as the new Chief Nursing Officer,” said Tolson. “I look forward to fostering a culture of collaboration, empowerment, and growth while working alongside the executive leadership team, skilled nursing professionals, and physicians to provide exceptional care to our patients.”

Methodist Hospital Westover Hills will offer several specialties including internal medicine, family practice, orthopedics, urology, pulmonology, oncology, radiology, cardiology, and maternal-fetal medicine. The acute-care hospital is expected to open in late 2024.