Kathryn “Tate” Ringer, interim CEO of Metrocare released her first statement on LinkedIn since taking the helm , “Since stepping in as Interim CEO of Metrocare on April 1, after the board was blindsided by a negative audit, it’s been an intense stretch. We dug into the financials, the operations, the history — and as that work progressed, new information kept surfacing that reshaped our understanding of what we were dealing with today. My focus stayed on protecting our employees and stabilizing the organization before speaking publicly.
Here’s what we have learned: it wasn’t one problem with an easy fix. It was several years of financial, operational, and structural issues layered on top of each other — many born from good intentions – expanding care, meeting community needs, investing in our people – that, combined with outside pressures like funding cuts and inflation, quietly became unsustainable.
But what’s stuck with me most is how people showed up.
Our staff kept showing up for patients despite not knowing what tomorrow held. Our leaders (my colleagues) who remain carried more than their share and worked together to make difficult choices. Community partners, donors, elected officials, and Dallas County leaders stepped up because they knew what was at stake. Our Board made hard calls in service of something bigger than any of us.
Metrocare isn’t just a business. It’s adults finding recovery and resilience. It’s children whose behaviors are often their only way of telling us something is wrong — and caring professionals helping them find healthier ways to express and overcome those challenges. It’s people with disabilities living fuller lives. It’s families getting help when they need it most.
Metrocare is hope.
What gives me confidence today is that we didn’t just react — we got to work. With a deeper understanding and the help of outside experts, we’re building real financial and operational discipline – with radical transparency – so we never end up here again.
There’s still work ahead. But there’s also real progress. Our new partnership with Parkland — both organizations staying independent — isn’t the end of Metrocare’s mission. It’s a chance to build something bigger and better for the people and families who count on us.
To everyone who called, texted, emailed, or simply checked in— to our team, our Board, our community partners, and to Parkland— thank you.
The sacrifices are real. And so is the commitment of the people who continue showing up when it counts.
There are still difficult roads ahead. The loss of team members who made meaningful contributions to Metrocare is still deeply felt and will not be forgotten.
But there is also reason for hope. The future is not without challenges, but it is filled with possibility, and I’m grateful to everyone helping write the next chapter.”
Source: LinkedIn
