Texas Children’s Health Plan’s Cynthia Baker named one of Houston’s top 150 nurses

Cynthia Baker, MSN, MBA, RN, CPN, pediatric care coordinator for Texas Children’s Health Plan’s The Center for Children and Women, has earned recognition among the top 150 nurses in the region by the Houston Chronicle.

Ms. Baker has been a part of the Texas Children’s organization since 1990, when she joined TCH as a staff nurse. Since then, she has served as nursing manager and, most recently, as pediatric care coordinator for the STAR Kids population of medically complex patients at The Center for Children and Women. Her accomplishments in this role include reducing emergency room visits for her patient panel, acting as team lead on The Center’s Ambulatory Practice Committee, and planning The Center’s annual staff training days.

Colleagues describe Ms. Baker as a natural and compassionate leader whose approachability has enabled her to establish productive relationships across the teams she works with, earning her the well-deserved respect of her peers, patients, and leaders. Ms. Baker often demonstrates her initiative and commitment to patient care by filling in for the staff nurse when her team is short-staffed or if she sees that a nurse on shift is overwhelmed; by doing this, she ensures that her patients can be seen and get the care they need in a timely manner.

Nursing has been a lifelong pursuit for Ms. Baker, who credits witnessing the excellent nursing care her oldest sister received when she experienced health struggles as the inspiration behind her career choice. “Growing up I knew I wanted to be a nurse or a teacher,” she explains. “Nursing is a profession that provides the opportunity to do both.” Ms. Baker remains committed to passing on her passion for quality care to future generations of nurses. For her, nursing “is more than a career. It is a calling.”