She grounds herself every day with a morning workout and then shifts to a schedule that has been strategically planned to cover all the bases at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman.
“I wear a lot of different hats in my current role,” said Toya White, M.B.A., M.S.N., J.D., APRN, FNP-C, FACHE, chief operating and nursing officer at the hospital. “I oversee the day-to-day operations and am responsible for implementing and driving strategies that align with organizational goals. The one consistency in my days is rounding on the clinical units and interacting with those whom I am fortunate to serve.”
White came to Texas Health Kaufman on April 11, 2021, when it was in the midst of a COVID-19 surge and a visit by The Joint Commission. A year later, after successfully leading the hospital through those experiences and more, she radiates energy as she strides down the halls of the 91-bed hospital, greeting employees by name.
White’s calling to healthcare came when she was a teenager in rural Arkansas watching a nurse practitioner care for her grandfather, who had lung cancer.
“She listened, genuinely seemed to care, and took the time to answer questions in a manner we could understand,” White said. “The care she provided stood out because of her compassion. She made an impact on my family during a challenging time in our lives.”
She decided then that she wanted to become a nurse practitioner caring for people in underserved areas.
‘An interesting time’
White started her healthcare career at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas as a nurse extern in the Emergency Department in 2001. After earning her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science at Texas Woman’s University and obtaining nurse practitioner certification, she went on to do exactly the work she had aspired to do. She later rejoined Texas Health Dallas in 2012 as a nurse practitioner/bariatric surgery coordinator.
White was constantly pulled in for management tasks in leadership roles, and she enjoyed it.
“My initial career aspirations didn’t include being a leader, but in every single role I’ve had, I’ve always gravitated in this direction, always got involved and took on additional duties,” White said. “You go above and beyond just because you care and you have passion for what you do.”
By 2017, she was director of oncology, GI and bariatrics at Texas Health Dallas. She was doing nurse practitioner work, volunteering at a clinic offering care for the indigent and earned a law degree that year.
A busy first week
When White came to Texas Health Kaufman last year, “it was the right move at the right time,” she said. “After a lot of discussion with a lot of people and, in coming out here and meeting everyone, it kind of reminded me of home. It has the small-town feeling where the team members are passionate about the hospital and community. They take ownership in their care delivery, as often they are serving someone they know from their community ties.”
The pandemic and The Joint Commission visit were “a blessing in disguise,” she said. “It gave me the opportunity to bond with my leaders and the rest of the team early on when the stakes were high.”
Mark Sij, D.O., chief quality and medical officer at Texas Health Kaufman, said White is caring as both a person and a leader.
“She is very passionate about her work, and her attention to detail is second to none,” he said. “She genuinely cares about her employees and all of her staff. I truly have enjoyed working with her for the past year and look forward to many more to come.”
Kirk King, Hospital Channel chief operating officer, said, “Toya’s energy, natural leadership skills and clinical background all make her a great fit for the top position at Texas Health Kaufman. I look forward to seeing her grow as a leader in the organization.”
