A Career of Care: Jeannie Keith Recognized with DAISY Nurse Leader Award

Jeannie Keith, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, has spent more than 40 years as a nurse. Thirty of those years have been in a leadership position, with her most recent role being the south market director of patient care services for the Shriners Children’s Texas and Shreveport locations. In May 2025, Jeannie was honored with one of the most meaningful recognitions in nursing: the DAISY Nurse Leader Award.

The DAISY Foundation created the Nurse Leader Award to honor those who foster environments of compassion and excellence. It recognizes individuals who may not provide direct patient care, but who play a crucial role in enabling others to do so. Nominations often come from staff who describe how their leaders influence their ability to deliver high-quality care. For Jeannie, the recognition came from someone who had worked closely with her during a major turning point in her career.

“The person that nominated me for this award was Cathy Moniaci,” Jeannie shared. “It makes me a little emotional because we worked together in Houston almost five years ago.”

It was a full-circle moment for Jeannie, who has been with Shriners Children’s for 11 years. But her journey to leadership didn’t happen overnight. She began her nursing career with an associate degree from Bakersfield College in California, then went on to earn her bachelor’s from the University of Washington and her master’s from the University of Phoenix. She credits the loss of her father to cancer when she was just 16 as the moment that shaped her calling. Jeannie knew she wanted to be the kind of person who could help others through similar experiences.

“I wanted to be someone who supported others through difficult times,” she said. “And I realized I really liked influencing and taking care of people.”

When Jeannie and her husband moved to Houston, she interviewed for a role at Shriners Children’s in Houston. There, Jeannie met with the chief of staff, Douglas Barnes, M.D., and Hospital Administrator Cathy Moniaci. She recalled immediately feeling a connection to the mission and values of the organization.

Jeannie accepted a leadership position and began overseeing nursing operations. Years later, in 2021, Shriners Children’s Texas consolidated its orthopedic, cleft lip and palate, and burn care to Galveston Island, just south of Houston. Jeannie played a major role in guiding the transition.

“I didn’t want to see what had started in Houston die, and I felt like I had a good perspective and wanted to help the team work through that to make us the best we could be in Galveston,” she said.

The shift wasn’t easy. Moving from a specialty in orthopedics to managing care in a burn hospital was a significant adjustment. But Jeannie embraced the challenge, building a new team and strengthening operations from the inside out. She surrounded herself with leaders who wanted to see the merger succeed, including Mae Wheatley, MSN, RN, CLNM, and Clay Chapman, MBA, MPH, OTRL, FACHE. Through it all, she found that her passion for supporting others translated across specialties.

In the five years since the transition, Jeannie has helped guide the hospital through staffing changes, new systems and the onboarding of new teams. “I think I was a bit naive,” she said. “I thought it would take a year for everything to settle. But the work of building something new and sustaining it has helped me grow who I am as a leader.”

Choosing leadership was not something Jeannie took lightly. She considered pursuing a more clinical path, but a mentor helped her see the broader impact of her work. Jeannie realized that by leading others, she could influence patient care far beyond what she could do alone at the bedside.

For Jeannie, the DAISY Nurse Leader Award is not just a personal trophy, but is a reflection of everything she has poured into her work. The award validates her efforts and inspires her to give her all every day.

“Any nursing leader will tell you, if you ever stop learning and growing, it’s time to retire,” she said. “This work continues to shape me every day.”