Ruth L. Whitaker, RN, BSN, MSN

Vice President of Clinical Services/Chief Nursing Officer

Baylor Specialty Hospital and Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation 

Ruth L. Whitaker has been the Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Baylor Specialty Hospital since 2001 and Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation since 2008. In this role, Whitaker supports 366 nurses. She is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating and evaluating the delivery of safe, quality and compassionate care with nursing and ancillary services.

In her joint role, Whitaker has developed a strong nursing department which is highly regarded by physicians, patients and referral sources. She has implemented a shared leadership model to enhance professional nursing practice at Baylor Specialty Hospital. Under her leadership, the facility received the 2006 Texas Quality Award for Organizational Improvement and the 2008 VHA Award for Clinical Excellence.

Whitaker has been with Baylor Health Care System for nearly 25 years. Before her current role, she was an Administrator for Baylor Home Health. Prior to that, she worked in California in critical care.

Whitaker received her bachelor’s in nursing at North Park College in Chicago, Illinois. She then began her nursing career in critical care. Whitaker earned her master’s in nursing at Baylor University in 2008. She is currently involved with Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nurses and the Texas Nurses Association.