Administration & Faculty
Kyle Hunt
President, Texas School of Health Science
D. Kyle Hunt is the founding CEO of Texas School of Health Sciences (TSHS). TSHS is dedicated to partnering with healthcare systems to develop and operate hospital-based degree programs that support students and benefit consumers. Mr. Hunt began working on this critical initiative with the Texas Board of Nursing (BON), Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) in 2008. Despite challenges in finding the right partner for the school, Mr. Hunt never gave up on his vision to provide an innovative approach to nursing education that offered extensive real-world clinical experience in conjunction with a partnering healthcare institution.
Mr. Hunt graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, B.A., Sociology in 2002. During his studies at The University of Texas Mr. Hunt developed a fervor for education equality and as a student athlete experienced firsthand how scholarships and teamwork can influence the lives of young people and provide them with an opportunity to get ahead in life.
Mr. Hunt went on to receive his M.B.A. while working for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. At Wells Fargo he routinely encountered customers who had difficulty securing residential mortgages because they carried excessive consumer debt in the form of student loans. The same loans his customers had taken out for the purpose of funding their education and to get ahead in life were now preventing them from moving forward.
One of the projects Mr. Hunt was required to complete for his M.B.A., and that continues to influence his work today, involved researching a nationally ranked healthcare staffing company. Mr. Hunt learned the company’s revenues were generated primarily by providing skilled nurses to hospitals and healthcare systems on a temporary basis. He believed the company’s 5-year growth rate of 450% was a consequence of hospitals’ and healthcare systems’ continued failure to attract and retain qualified staff. This resulted in hospitals spending inordinate amounts of money to meet their basic staffing requirements. At present, these “premium dollar” (overtime and outside staffing) expenditures are systematically siphoned away from other patient care needs of hospitals and routinely amount to 30% of operating costs.
Mr. Hunt’s life experiences as the son of a practicing nurse, undergraduate student athlete, graduate student, and businessman are what inspired him to come up with a better way: a hospital-based nursing school with students selected from both the hospital staff and the general community. Tuition is underwritten by the sponsoring hospital, with special consideration given to unskilled applicants who do not hold a license in a health care profession. This model encourages hospitals and healthcare systems to ensure students experience enhanced clinical training, education, and preparation in the acute care setting. It also provides opportunities for unlicensed staff and community members to secure a professional degree and guaranteed job placement without having to take on the burden of student loan debt.
In his spare time Mr. Hunt enjoys relaxing on South Padre Island and practicing yoga.
Dr. Candi Castillo
TSHS Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Candi Constantine-Castillo is a native of Tennessee and has lived in
the Rio Grande Valley since 1998. Candi is a graduate of East Tennessee State University. Where she obtained her associate degree in nursing and later her bachelor’s in nursing. She has a master in Nursing Administration, and a Master of Business Administration. Her doctoral degrees included Doctor of Health Administration and a Doctor of Nursing practice. She has held numerous healthcare leadership positions including Chief Nursing Officer, System Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Constantine-Castillo has served in undergraduate and graduate faculty and academic leadership positions since 2009.
Candi holds multiple national certifications to include Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives, Nurse Executive Advanced- 0Board Certified, Certified Executive in Nursing Practice, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management, and Certified Nurse Educator to name a few.
She serves as a board member the Greater Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in Harlingen, Rio Grande Valley Humane Society Board of Directors, South Texas Emergency Care Foundation Board of Directors, and the Texas Hospital Association Foundation Board of Trustees.
Candi is the mother of two daughters, Madison and Nia and the wife of
Lieutenant Carlos Castillo with the Harlingen Fire Department.
Candi loves music, particularly instrumental, and is passionate about
animal rescue.
Dr. Ashley Hovar
Assistant Chief Academic Officer
Ashley Elizabeth Hovar is a Doctoral prepared Family Nurse Practitioner with many years of experience in both nursing practice and teaching. She has almost 20 years of experience as a Registered Nurse. She has earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner, Master’s Certificate in Emergency/Trauma Medicine, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice; all from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing.
Ashley loves to spend time with her husband, four children and all their animals. In her spare time, she loves to travel, hike, bake, see movies and read. Her goals are to continue to grow as a professional while providing excellent patient centered care.