Texas Nurse Executive is Passionate About Making a Difference

Jeannie Keith, Shriners Children’s Texas Director of Patient Care Services and nurse executive, is proud to help make a difference in the lives of patients and healthcare workers.

Keith always knew she wanted to be a nurse, and served the community as one for 38 years. She came to Shriners Children’s eight years ago and works maintaining clinical operations, building the patient care services team, problem solving and helping her team and those around the hospital have fun serving others.

Keith loves that her job allows her to work with people who are just as passionate about health care as she is.

“I get to be out and about seeing people and talking to them every day,” Keith said. “I take the barriers away so the patient care services team can provide the best care possible and do what they need to do.”

Over the course of her career, Keith has gained clinical expertise in oncology, palliative care, medical surgical, pediatric orthopedic and inpatient rehabilitation as well as experience in various nursing leadership roles.

For Keith, working at Shriners Children's means that every day brings new joy and new challenges. Striving toward the Shriners Children's goal of helping as many children as possible receive the highest level of health care brings Keith happiness and pride, and she works hard to make sure her team and members of the community are cared for.

Obstacles over the past few years have urged those in health care to update their daily operations and streamline patient care and services offered. The COVID-19 pandemic, Keith said, was a challenge for many and saw a lot of healthcare professionals leave their jobs, take new ones and be forced to make many difficult decisions.

“The complexity of health care at a nursing leadership position is very challenging, and here I get to feel like I’m part of the solution,” she said.

The department prepares to graduate seven nurse aides, and Keith said that is something to be celebrated as a sign of creativity, innovation and hope. She looks forward to what the future brings in terms of medical innovation for healthcare workers who have a passion for helping others.

Keith said the Shriners Children's mission has persevered over 100 years because doctors, nurses and other medical staff are constantly striving to improve medical care and be there every day to support patients and families.

“Our ability to be creative and innovative and do things on the cutting edge of orthopedic care and burn care, and our cleft palate team, over the last eight years, has changed dramatically. We show a lot of resilience and have figured out ways to become stronger,” she said.