Fort Worth entrepreneur Dustin Austin is the newest addition to JPS Health Network’s board of managers.
He is the first member to join the board in over a year, following former Fort Worth City Council member Leonard Firestone’s appointment in March 2023.
JPS is Tarrant County’s taxpayer-supported hospital district that provides various health care needs to local residents. The 11-member board governs Tarrant County’s publicly funded hospital. Members hire and, if necessary, fire the CEO, and approve the hospital’s budget, among other duties. They serve without pay and are appointed by the Tarrant County Commissioners Court.
Austin is the owner of Hurst-based Our Country Homes, a construction company that builds custom homes across Dallas-Fort Worth.
“I’m so excited, what an honor to have this opportunity in this stage of my career,” said Austin.
Precinct 4 County Commissioner Manny Ramirez appointed Austin to the hospital district’s board during a recent commissioners court meeting. The court approved, voting unanimously.
Dustin will replace W.B. “Zim” Zimmerman on the board. Zimmerman was first appointed to the board of managers in February 2019 by former Precinct 4 Commissioner J.D. Johnson.
Even though Austin doesn’t have a health care background, Ramirez believes his knowledge of construction management will be beneficial as JPS continues work on its master facilities plan.
JPS’s master facilities plan is supported by an $800 million bond package voters approved in 2018. The plan detailed new facilities, including a psychiatric emergency center, medical office building, medical home and patient towers. Hospital leaders estimate the bond projects will total over $1.5 billion because of cost increases, inflation and construction delays.
“Mr. Austin is an incredible businessman in Tarrant County and his experience in construction and development is the perfect fit for tackling some of the largest challenges JPS is facing right now,” said Ramirez. “I think he’s going to add tremendous value to the JPS board of managers.”
Who serves on JPS’s board of managers?
The current board includes:
- Roger Fisher – board chair
- Amanda Arizola – vice chair
- D.T. Nguyen – secretary
- Tim Davis
- Dorothy DeBose
- Ralph Waldo Emerson Jr.
- Leonard Firestone
- Dr. Margaret Holland
- Trent Petty
- Blake Woodard
The other board members bring a variety of backgrounds, including health care, engineering, business management and public administration. The hospital’s bylaws don’t require that specific professions be represented on the board.
“Businesses work best whenever you have board members with diverse viewpoints,” said Ramirez. “It’s making sure that we’re steering the ship in the right direction, that’s the job to do.”
Austin believes the lessons he’s learned through navigating his own company will serve him well at JPS.
“I don’t know a lot about the medical field, but I know how to finance construction,” he said. “I hope to hone in and focus on making (JPS) one of the most top-notch facilities in the nation.”
Dr. Karen Duncan, CEO and president of JPS, said Austin will be a key part of the growth and development of the network as the hospital district continues to “expand health care services to community members throughout Tarrant County.”
JPS does not yet have a date set for Austin’s inauguration into the board of managers.
David Moreno is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports on X.
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