Selected as the first female and first African American to lead a hospital in Baptist Health's history, Nicole Thomas knows well, how to thrive under pressure.
In 2016, she was named president of Baptist Medical Center South. It was an election year, Hillary Clinton lost to former president Donald Trump. The political climate that crept into the everyday lives of many Americans was tense.
“President Obama was going out of office, and so how I felt was at least half the country after the election occurred, if they had been voting for me to become president at Baptist South, at least half the country would have rejected me as a woman and as an African American.”
A large part of her job leading Baptist Medical Center South at that time, included uniting its team members.
"The goal is unity, right,” Thomas said. “And that's what I wanted to make sure that the team understood in that moment. That we could be the example of what unity looks like despite what might be happening outside in the world."
Fast forward to 2024 as the nation braces for another contentious election, Thomas is now president of the health system’s largest hospital, Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville.
She gave First Coast News an exclusive look behind the scenes of phase one of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville’s labor and delivery deck under construction. Thomas has been a driving force in helping to address the city's growing need for high-risk pregnancy care.
"This phase will be complete here in July," Thomas said. "Once we're done with this, the goal is to build twelve labor and delivery suites."
Her role as president keeps Thomas moving. But before the title, and accolades, the Houston native had a humble start.
“How old were your parents when they had you?,” Good Morning Jacksonville anchor Keitha Nelson asked.
“They were teenagers, in high school,” Thomas said. “I will say it took a whole village to get me where I am.”
At the heart of that village was a stern grandmother she calls, "Mom."
“She was set from the start that I would be the first in my family to finish college," Thomas said.
The eldest of four, Thomas held her siblings close. But 15 years after her brother's death, she can still vividly recall it. In the spring of 2009, her brother Joey, at 19 years old was found dead in the trunk of his car in Houston.
"When my brother was murdered, I literally wanted to give up,” Thomas said. “I wanted to curl up and if I could have died instead of him, I would have.”
“When did you lose you dad?” Nelson asked.
“The year after I lost my brother,” Thomas replied. “Houston was a really tough place. Yeah, it was a really tough place … During that time my dad had a double lung transplant. He, I believe, literally gave up after he lost his son.”
But she says giving up, for her, was not an option.
"You have to decide, are you going to be angry, are you going to throw away the gifts that are in you?,” Thomas exclaimed. “Or are you going to use them in a way that perhaps can help somebody?"
That has been her mission inside of, and beyond the walls of Baptist. Helping with early education programs throughout the First Coast, supporting women's services, and impacting lives.
“What does it mean to you to be a changemaker?” Keitha Nelson asked.
“I think what it means wherever I touch I want to leave it better than I found it,” Thomas said. “Leadership is about making people better and having it last in your absence.”
In Thomas' full interview streaming on First Coast News +, she candidly reveals the highs and lows throughout her career.