Harris Health System has named Victoria Nikitin its new executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) effective March 1. Nikitin has been with Harris Health for 18 years.

“Victoria has worked closely with senior leadership during the past 18 months as a transition plan for this moment,” says Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and CEO, Harris Health. “Our board of trustees and our entire team are excited to welcome her and look forward to her support of our strategic goals and objectives in helping us create a High Reliability Organization dedicated to caring for all residents of Harris County.”

Nikitin has more than 20 years of progressive financial leadership experience in complex healthcare environments including primary, secondary and tertiary care. She joined Harris Health in 2004 and was directly involved with the development of Harris Health’s financial change strategy that resulted in the system’s growth from a $775 million enterprise in 2005 to a $2.2 billion enterprise in 2022.

Most recently, she served as the senior vice president, Finance, Harris Health, overseeing the portfolio of accounting, financial planning, decision support and data analytics, and government reimbursement.

She is focused on directing financial strategy for the system and supporting transformational initiatives aimed at expense control and improved reimbursement. In addition to financial strategy, Nikitin is a major contributor in the development of regional and statewide health policy and the priorities for the Texas Medicaid 1115 Waiver.

Prior to becoming senior vice president at Harris Health, Nikitin held the position of vice president, Financial Services, when she was a co-architect of the multiyear strategic capital program of $370 million (2008-2014) that included construction of two outpatient towers, two new health centers with adjacent eligibility centers, and the expansion of Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital and Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital platforms.

Nikitin holds a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University and a Texas Certified Public Accountant license. She is a fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, having served on the association’s Board of the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter for many years.