DALLAS, July 27, 2026 — Children’s Health has appointed Michelle Mahaffey as its new Chief People Officer, bringing a nationally recognized health care workforce leader to the organization as it continues a period of significant growth and transformation. Mahaffey succeeds Kim Besse, who is retiring after 17 years of dedicated service marked by transformative growth, a deep commitment to team members and the cultivation of a values-driven, people-first culture that has helped earn Children’s Health recognition as one of the nation’s top workplaces.
Mahaffey is a seasoned human resources executive with extensive experience leading enterprise people strategies across complex health care organizations. She brings deep expertise in organizational transformation, talent development and employee engagement, with a proven track record of building high-performing teams and fostering cultures that support growth, innovation and operational excellence.
Featured: Kim Besse, Chief People Officer, who is retiring after 17 years of dedicated service to Children’s Health.
“Our ability to grow, to expand access to care and to meet the evolving needs of children and families across North Texas begins with our people,” said Christopher J. Durovich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Health. “Michelle has deep experience leading teams and shaping cultures across complex health care organizations. She will build on the strong foundation that has made Children’s Health a great place to receive care and a great place to work. As we continue to grow, her leadership will help ensure we attract, develop and support exceptional people who make our mission possible.”
Prior to joining Children’s Health, Mahaffey served as executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Community Health Network, a $4 billion integrated health system with more than 17,000 team members. Throughout her career, she has led workforce development, compensation and benefits, talent strategy and enterprise Human Resources operations, helping organizations attract, develop and retain the talent needed to achieve ambitious strategic goals.
“I am honored to join Children’s Health and become part of an organization with such a meaningful mission,” said Mahaffey. “The opportunity to serve the people who care for children and families every day is incredibly energizing. I look forward to listening, learning and partnering with team members across Children’s Health to build on an already exceptional culture—one where people feel valued, supported and inspired to do their best work so we can continue delivering outstanding care for every child and family we serve.”
Mahaffey succeeds Kim Besse, who announced her retirement as Chief People Officer following a remarkable 17-year tenure that helped shape Children’s Health into one of the nation’s leading pediatric health systems and top workplaces in North Texas. Throughout her leadership, Besse championed a people-first culture while guiding the organization through significant growth, transformation and some of the most challenging moments in health care.
Besse played a pivotal role in strengthening the workforce needed to support the organization’s continued growth, leading investments in team member well-being, leadership development, career advancement and employee experience. Her steady leadership helped Children’s Health navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, historic workforce shortages and a rapidly evolving health care landscape while maintaining an unwavering focus on supporting team members and delivering exceptional care. Under her guidance, the organization achieved sustained improvements in engagement and retention, earned recognition as a Gallup Exceptional Workplace for five consecutive years and further strengthened a culture rooted in purpose, compassion and excellence.
“Serving the children, families and team members of Children’s Health has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” said Besse. “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together and of the remarkable people who bring our mission to life every day. As Children’s Health looks to the future, I am excited to see Michelle step into this role and confident the organization will continue to grow, innovate and make an even greater impact on children and families across North Texas and beyond.”
To learn more about careers and team member benefits, visit jobsearch.childrens.com.
About Children’s Health
Children’s Health is the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas and has long been recognized as a leader in pediatric health. Its campuses include Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Children’s Medical Center Plano and multiple Children’s Health Specialty Centers, caring for more than 370,000 patients each year. With more than 11,000 team members and nearly 2,000 medical and dental staff, Children’s Health provides more than $682 million in annual community benefit across North Texas.
In partnership with UT Southwestern Medical Center, it is consistently recognized among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. This commitment to excellence and outstanding care has resulted in recognition across all pediatric specialties for eight consecutive years, including Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Behavioral Health, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology, and Urology.
Since 2009, Children’s Health has maintained Magnet® designation – the highest honor for nursing excellence – and continues to earn employer-of-choice recognition locally, nationally and globally. These honors include the Great Place to Work® Certification™, the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award and Top Workplaces recognition from USA TODAY and The Dallas Morning News. Children’s Health has also been named one of the 150 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Hospital Review for 14 consecutive years.
For more information and to support Children’s Health, visit childrens.com or like us on Facebook, follow Children’s Health on X, Instagram and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.