Cook Children’s Named as One of ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women’ by Newsweek

Newsweek has named Cook Children’s one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2024. We’re introducing you to some of the women who make Cook Children’s such an amazing place. See the list here.

Deborah C. Boudreaux, MSN, RN, CCRN, C-NPT, LP, CMTE, Vice President of Nursing and Patient Services, Alliance for Children, Board of Directors, Jewel Charity, Ball Chairman 2025

These days, Deborah Boudreaux’s feet are firmly planted on the ground. But it hasn’t always been that way. As a former flight nurse for Cook Children’s Teddy Bear Transport, she spent much of her career nursing critically ill neonates from the back of an ambulance or while flying in a plane or helicopter en route to Cook Children’s Medical Center.

In addition to her critical care nursing skills, Boudreaux had to know about things like engines, fuel burn, and how to make sure the tires were rotated on an ambulance. Not the conventional wisdom of a nurse, but absolutely essential for someone caring for patients while speeding through the skyways and highways of Texas and beyond.

“In nursing school, they don’t teach you how to do any of that,” she said.

And, yet, Boudreaux says she never heard the words “you can’t” from any one of her leaders or mentors at Cook Children’s.

“I don’t think there was ever a door closed to me,” she said. “We’re very lucky here at Cook Children’s. Having so many nurses in leadership allows other nurses to think, ‘Oh, yeah. I can do that.’”

In 2023, Boudreaux soared to new heights when she landed the role of vice president of Nursing and Patient Services at Cook Children’s, following a stint as the director of Teddy Bear Transport. The new job required her to hang up her flight suit and hand over her helmet, which she admits wasn’t easy. In their place, Boudreaux cherishes a soft and fuzzy reminder of her transport days — her Build-a-Bear transport teddy, sporting a miniature replica of her former flight suit.

Boudreaux’s office is no longer in the sky, but she’s still aiming for the stars as she leads, supports and mentors the current and upcoming generation of nursing superstars at Cook Children’s.

“I have worked at Cook Children’s for 37 years. Over the past three decades, I have watched our organization grow to meet the needs of our community by adding services and staff, all the while making sure that we are basing our care on the latest evidence-based practice. With all these changes, one thing has remained consistent — the support from our administration. Cook Children’s has retained the feeling of a family with an open-door policy. The support from administration is palpable starting with our executive vice president, Nancy Cychol, who has been a strong female influence for over four decades. Nurses, respiratory therapists, paramedics, care partners, dietitians, physical therapists, physicians, WE all have a voice at the table. I am proud to be a leader in an organization that truly values my opinion. I hope that I will one day be included in the long list of strong female leaders.”

Shernette Kydd, Ph.D, Professional Engineer and Assistant Vice President of System Effectiveness

Shernette Kydd, Ph.D., PE, MBA, CLSSMBB, LSSBB, CPHQ, LBC, isn’t afraid to face a problem head on. In fact, she welcomes them like a kid welcomes a visit to the candy store. 

“I call problems candy, and we have lots of challenges in health care, so we call it a candy store,” she said. “Folks run from problems but, as engineers, we run to them.” 

And she’s yet to meet a problem she couldn’t overcome. Partly because of her extensive engineering education and experience, but mostly a result of the legacy of faith and perseverance left by her mother. After the death of her father when she was 8 years old, she watched her mother raise six children on her own, all the while modeling Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That verse and her faith in God powers her perseverance and gives her the resolve to find the sweet solutions in every piece of “candy.” 

As an engineering student, she was often the only female in her classes. Today, only 24% of industrial engineers are women, but being a woman in a male-dominated industry hasn’t stopped her from reaching the top. 

At Cook Children’s, she has found a place where she can develop solutions that deeply impact people’s lives on a global scale. 

“It’s like a dream job,” she said. “The goal is to solve problems, and health care is something that impacts everyone. Even though I’m here in Texas, the solutions we find within health care can impact medical systems globally, because you want to share your findings with others.” 

She is raising the next generation of problem-solvers, too. She and her husband have two children, both of whom have followed in their mother’s footsteps. Their daughter is a biomedical engineer and their son recently completed his bachelor’s degree in data science. 

Nancy Cychol, Executive Vice President, Hospital Services

You may not know Nancy Cychol, but if you live in Fort Worth or Prosper, you’ve seen her work and the magic it brings. 

As Cook Children’s executive vice president and chief of hospital services, part of Nancy’s job is to ensure the environments of our medical centers are safe and suitable for children. That means it also must be fun, or as we like to say at Cook Children’s — magical. 

After all, she’s the woman behind the can’t-miss annual Christmas lights display at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth. 

From the spectacular holiday displays to the giant rocking chair statue she commissioned as a one-of-a-kind climb and play structure (where she is pictured), Nancy is always thinking about how to make Cook Children’s a place where kids can just be kids. As a long-time pediatric nurse and a self-proclaimed kid at heart, it comes naturally to her. 

But along with the fun is a serious dedication to her work. Nancy can trace her dream of becoming a nurse to childhood when, at just 6 years old, she would draw pictures of herself as “Nurse Nancy.” Fast forward to now and she’s been taking care of kids and making them laugh and smile for more than four decades. First, as a pediatric ICU nurse in Indianapolis and, beginning in 1984, as the director of Cook Children’s Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care units. 

Today, “Nurse Nancy” is a part of the senior executive leadership team leading one of the largest pediatric health care systems in the country. 

“The vision of strong women like Ida Turner and Mrs. Cook continues to inspire us today. Their commitment to the children in our community, especially the most vulnerable, still serves as the foundation of the supportive and empowering environment we have today for the women at Cook Children’s. It’s an honor to be a part of a legacy where others can make a real difference in the lives of children and their families.”