Cheryl Petersen Named Inaugural Member of the State’s Healthcare Workforce Task Force
Our own Cheryl Petersen, RN, MBA, NEA-BC, made history as one of the inaugural members of the “Healthcare Workforce Task Force” for the state of Texas.
Cheryl is the Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President for Patient Services.
According to the statement for the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the healthcare workforce shortages in Texas to meet the demands of our growing state and provide students with the skills they need to succeed.”
“I feel very honored to selected to be a part of this task force, but more than anything I look forward to making real change for our state’s nurses and healthcare workers,” Cheryl said. “We know how the shortage of the healthcare workforce places a real strain on the people who are providing the best care available to our patients and their families. We understand the need to address this shortage and identify strategies to address this issue.”
Governor Abbott said, “Health professionals across Texas work tirelessly to meet the needs of our growing state and provide high-quality care to their fellow Texans. In April, I directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to address our state’s healthcare workforce shortage by maintaining sufficient clinical placement sites and retaining qualified clinical faculty so that students have the tools they need to succeed in this vital industry. Today, we’re announcing the inaugural members of the Healthcare Workforce Taskforce. This highly qualified group of experts, industry leaders, and individuals from Texas’ top-tier higher education institutions will ensure Texas can expand our healthcare workforce to meet the needs of all Texans for generations to come.”
The Healthcare Workforce Task Force and advisory members will meet monthly and gather insights from state agency experts and additional healthcare stakeholders throughout Texas. The task force will issue a final report on Oct. 1, 2024.
“When you look at the members of this task force, you are looking at some of the most knowledgeable and respected health care leaders in the state,” said Nancy Cychol, Executive Vice President, Hospital Services. “While it’s a tremendous honor to be selected, they chose Cheryl because she understands this issue firsthand. Her experience will be a valuable asset to the taskforce. We are so proud of Cheryl and this once again places Cook Children’s at the forefront of making impactful change in the health care industry.”
Cheryl brings a wealth of experience to the task force. Prior to her current role, she was Assistant Vice President of Nursing and Nursing Director with Cook Children’s for more than 20 years. She has led her nursing team to a fourth Magnet Designation in 2016, and a fifth Magnet application submitted this past February, achieving an academic preparation of nurses at 84% BSN, maintaining nursing turnover less than 11%, and an advanced certified nursing rate of 50%.
She is a current member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, Texas Organization for Nursing Leadership (TONL), American Organization for Nursing Leadership, American Nurses Association, and Texas Nurses Association. Additionally, Cheryl is President Elect for the Texas Organization of Nursing Leadership, served on the Communication and Membership Committees with TONL and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Community Healthcare of Texas and the DFW Hospital Council Foundation. She received a master's in business administration from Benedictine University in Illinois and baccalaureate degree in nursing from the University of Iowa. She was honored as one of the Dallas-Fort Worth Great 100 Nurses in 2012.