Texas Children's Announces New President

Texas Children’s appoints Dr. Debra Feigin Sukin as its new President.

HOUSTON (Sept. 22, 2023) - Texas Children’s is pleased to announce the appointment of Debra Feigin Sukin, Ph.D., as the new President of the organization. Sukin will join Texas Children’s on January 8, 2024, and report to Mark A. Wallace, who will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer.

“I am thrilled to welcome Debbie, an exemplary and talented leader, to Texas Children’s,” said Mark A. Wallace, President and CEO of Texas Children’s. “Her expertise, vision and values are a perfect fit for our organization and where we are headed in the future. Not only does Debbie have the necessary healthcare leadership experience, but she has lived and breathed Texas Children’s her entire life. Both of her parents worked at Texas Children’s, and she also began volunteering at Texas Children’s at age 16. As a parent of her two boys with special needs, she has spent the last two decades experiencing the world-class care, clinical research, empathy and heart of Texas Children’s. Debbie’s passion for our culture, mission, vision and values is unparalleled.”

Sukin currently serves at Houston Methodist as an Executive Vice President with responsibility for four Houston Methodist hospitals and is the Chief Executive Officer of Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, in addition to system responsibilities leading Neurosciences and the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart Center. Before joining Houston Methodist, she was the Senior Vice President of St. Luke’s Health System in the Texas Medical Center. She received her Master of Healthcare Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and her Ph.D. in Health Policy and Health Management at The University of Texas Health Science Center.

“I am truly honored and excited to serve as the new President of Texas Children’s,” said Sukin. “Texas Children’s has always been a profoundly special place to me, and I’m humbled to have this opportunity. This is an amazing organization and I look forward to working with the outstanding faculty and staff throughout the system and leading the next evolution of Texas Children’s. Mark has been a mentor and friend for many decades and I feel especially fortunate to serve under him as he continues on as CEO. I truly cannot wait to see what we can accomplish together as a team in the months and years to come.” 

“The Board of Trustees unanimously and collectively approved the appointment of Debra Feigin Sukin, Ph.D., as President of Texas Children’s. She is an exemplary leader with a proven track record of success across academic medicine and will no doubt elevate Texas Children’s to new heights,” said Michael C. Linn, Chair of the Texas Children’s Board of Trustees. “She is an incredible addition to the leadership team of our vibrant and complex organization.”

“This is a pivotal role for the organization, and it was our humble responsibility to find the absolute best person for the role and for Texas Children’s – and we have! Debbie is exactly who we need leading the next chapter of Texas Children’s, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have such a dynamic, powerful and energetic leader stepping in as President,” said C. Park Shaper, Vice Chair of the Texas Children’s Board of Trustees and Chair of the Search Committee. “We remain immensely grateful to Mark for his longstanding dedication and his commitment to continue to serve as CEO of Texas Children’s.”

As President, Sukin will lead the largest children’s hospital in the nation, with 5.2 million patient encounters annually, more than 120 locations throughout Houston, Austin and Central Texas, and 17,000 world-class employees, faculty, specialists and pediatricians serving children and women across the globe. Texas Children’s is consistently recognized as a leader in pediatric care, ranking third in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 Best Children’s Hospitals survey.

Learn more about Texas Children’s Hospital.

About Texas Children’s Hospital

Texas Children’s, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The system includes the Texas Children’s Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO for children; Texas Children’s Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.