Distinguished Connector: Amy Knight to Bring National Expertise to Cook Children's Health Care System as New Chief Administrative Officer

Former Children's Hospital Association Leader to Lead Strategic Growth and Enhance National Impact

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cook Children's Health Care System announced the appointment of Amy Wimpey Knight as its new Chief Administrative Officer, effective May 1, 2025. Amy brings a wealth of national expertise and a profound dedication to the health and well-being of children to the system.

"We are pleased to welcome Amy to Cook Children's," said Rick W. Merrill, President and CEO of Cook Children's Health Care System. "Her extensive experience at the national level, coupled with her deep understanding of the unique needs of children's hospitals, will be invaluable as we continue to advance our Promise to improve the health of every child. Amy's passion for collaboration and her strategic vision align perfectly with our values and our aspirations for the future."

This appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Cook Children's, building upon the strong foundation established by her predecessor Keith Holtz, who will be retiring in early 2026.

"I am incredibly grateful to join Cook Children's and the talented teams here to make meaningful contributions to children's health care and to each child and family we serve," Amy shared. "My work has given me an extraordinary opportunity to get to know many children's health systems, and Cook Children's stands out for its commitment to exceptional care, its truly remarkable culture, and the many opportunities we have to grow as an integrated delivery system serving children."

Amy envisions Cook Children's growth through innovative research, strategic expansions, and leveraging its programs and diverse portfolio to reach and serve more families. She is particularly focused on elevating its national profile by showcasing its exceptional work and collaborative ethos, a key differentiator in health care.

Amy will report to the president and CEO, providing executive leadership for a broad range of areas including strategy; community health; patient, family and team experience; marketing, public relations and communications; human resources, and more. Known as a natural connector, Amy is committed to building strong relationships and fostering teamwork, and she is also a dedicated coach and mentor.

Prior to joining Cook Children's, Amy served as President of the Children's Hospital Association (CHA) based in Washington, DC. Her career also includes more than a decade as a partner in a boutique health care strategy firm and administrative roles in a children's hospital. Her extensive experience, strategic perspective, and deep-rooted commitment to Cook Children's Promise will be instrumental as the system continues to advance children's health and health care.

About Cook Children's

Cook Children's is more than a health care system: we strive to be an extension of your family, growing with your child from their first steps to adulthood. By collaborating to deliver on our Promise—to improve the well-being of every child in our care and our communities, we connect the dots for our patients. Between primary and specialty. Between home and medical home. Between short-term care and long-term health.

Based in Fort Worth, Texas, we're 10,000+ dedicated team members strong, passionately caring for over 2 million patient encounters each year. Our integrated, not-for-profit organization spans two medical centers (including our state-of-the-art location in Prosper), two surgery centers, a physician network, home health services and a health plan. It also includes Child Study Center at Cook Children's, Cook Children's Health Services Inc., and Cook Children's Health Foundation. In 2024, Forbes named Cook Children's the top health care employer in the U.S., and third on the list of "America's Best Large Employers."

And our impact extends beyond the borders of Texas. We proudly treat children from virtually every state in the nation and 32 countries. By seeing the world through the eyes of children and their families from all backgrounds, we're able to shape health care suited to them: connected by kindness, imagination and respect—with an extra dose of magical wonder.

Discover more at www.cookchildrens.org.

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SOURCE COOK CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM