Leading Le Bonheur

When Le Bonheur needed a new president, the hospital didn’t have to look far to find the perfect fit for the role: Trey Eubanks, MD, FACS.

A pediatric surgeon at Le Bonheur for more than 20 years, Eubanks has seen lots of changes at the hospital, yet one thing has remained the same — Le Bonheur’s commitment to provide expert care to every child in the community. A devoted father to five and grandfather to four, Eubanks recognizes the importance of having quality children’s health care readily available in Memphis and the Mid-South.

“We have an obligation as Le Bonheur to provide excellent care to the kids of our region,” Eubanks said. “Families count on us, and that is a commitment I take very seriously. I am honored and humbled to ensure that commitment is fulfilled in my role of President.”

The son of two pharmacists, Eubanks grew up in Tunica, Miss. During his junior year of high school, Eubanks dislocated his elbow in a high school football game. Luckily, a local doctor was able to pop his joint back in place and provide pain relief — a moment that solidified Eubanks’ passion for medicine.

Eubanks went on to medical school and pharmacy school at the University of Mississippi. He completed a pediatric surgery residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, including a rotation at Le Bonheur Children’s, before leaving Memphis to complete a pediatric surgery fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern in Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.

After completing his training, Eubanks jumped at the chance to return to Memphis, his wife Angela’s hometown, and accepted a surgical position at Le Bonheur.

“I interviewed with five or six groups after training, but I always had a high level of respect and loyalty for people here at Le Bonheur, and I knew I wanted to come back,” Eubanks said. “There is something special about Le Bonheur and the spirit of the people inside the building. The devotion of everyone at Le Bonheur to patient and family-centered care is unparalleled.”

At Le Bonheur, Eubanks was quickly identified as a natural-born leader and tapped for several leadership positions, including Trauma Medical Director from 2004 to 2018 and Surgeon-in-Chief from 2015 to 2023. Among his many accomplishments, Eubanks was instrumental in Le Bonheur earning the American College of Surgeons Level I Pediatric Trauma designation.

Along the way, Eubanks has relied on his faith to serve as his guiding foundation as he makes decisions and leads with a servant’s heart. During his career, he has further honed his leadership skills on medical mission trips across the globe from Nigeria to Honduras and Belize.

Eubanks brings a unique perspective to his role as president with a surgeon’s leadership, knack for detail and commitment to hands-on patient care.

“Being a frontline Being a frontline person, I have cut my teeth in health care,” Eubanks said. “I have been at Le Bonheur for my whole career and have built relationships with key stakeholders, so I understand how to lead and get things done.”

During his brief tenure as president thus far, Le Bonheur has already experienced phenomenal growth including
the completion of a $95-million expansion that provides needed space, technology and infrastructure for the nationally-renowned Le Bonheur Heart Institute and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. While Eubanks served as interim president from March to December 2023, Le Bonheur raised more than $12 million in new funding, opened the new Seacrest Studio at Le Bonheur, and became the first and only hospital in Tennessee to achieve the Children’s Surgical Center Level I Verification.

While excited about the new additions to Le Bonheur, Eubanks has more goals in mind.

Eubanks’ vision for the future includes growing the services provided at Le Bonheur, continuing the tradition of being a great place to work and ensuring every child has access to care regardless of their ability to pay.