What was your first job in healthcare? I am a licensed Physical Therapist. My first job was at the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, NY where I cared for patients rehabilitating from Cardiac surgery.
What is a trait you admire most when you see it in your colleagues? Adaptability – Healthcare is an everchanging field. Now more than ever the changes in all aspects of health care are rapidly changing. Leaders who can quickly adapt to new models of thinking, and bring their teams along are incredibly valuable.
What is your favorite book that gave you insight into your career? Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” taught me a lot about the importance of relationships
A successful day at work is: Checking something off the to do list, spending some time with our staff, and hearing a great patient story.
What is a career achievement you are most proud of? I had the opportunity to serve as our Hospital Incident Commander during Covid. While it was one of the hardest things I have ever done, I am proud and humbled by the dedication, creativity and compassion of our entire team.
What is an area you are looking to improve in your own life? Work life balance.
What does it look like for you to ‘unplug’ from work? I truly unplug best on a beach vacation with a good book and family.
What is your greatest motivation? I enjoy watching new leaders grow and I am highly motivated spending time with people to help them along their journey.
What do you think are the greatest challenges/opportunities for the healthcare industry right now? Our greatest challenges are around our workforce. Staffing shortages with not enough people going into key areas of healthcare. I think we all have great opportunities in engaging with our staff. We need to be highly focused on our employees, understanding what drives and motivates and drives them. Highly engaged employees will provide higher levels of patient quality and satisfaction and we will see less turnover.
What drove you to pursue Fellow status? I had a mentor who was a fellow early in my career who introduced me to ACHE. I am an engaged learner and this was an avenue that expanded my healthcare knowledge.
What do you believe is the greatest benefit you have gotten from being an ACHE member? Networking and Continued learning.
What advice do you have for young professionals considering a career in healthcare? It is an incredibly rewarding career where you and your teams are making a difference in people’s lives every day.
