Interviewed by Anailis Diaz
Tell us a bit about yourself! Let our readers get to know you on a personal level.
Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I moved to Florida in 1990 and have called myself a Floridian ever since. Since 2015, I have served as the CEO at The Orthopedic Clinic (TOC). Before joining TOC, I served in several leadership positions at top institutions, including:
Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of MCR Health Services in Manatee County
Chief Operating Officer at Coastal Orthopedics & Pain Management in Bradenton, Florida
Vice-President for Advent Health's outpatient imaging enterprise within the Central Florida market
Market Manager/Director of Operations at Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI)
I hold a Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration (MHA) from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Radiologic Sciences from Adventist University. I am a Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) and Certified Radiology Administrator (CRA). As an advocate for education and supporting an authentic desire to serve, I am honored to sit on the Board of Trustees for AdventHealth University and serve on the Board of Directors for our state Orthopedic Society (Florida Bones Society). I also volunteer time in mentoring upcoming healthcare professionals through the internship program at the University of Central Florida. At a personal level, I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother of three, and most recently, a grandmother. My family is truly the driver behind everything that I do, and without their love and support, I would not be who or where I am today.
Can you tell us about your early career and your journey to get where you are?
At a very young age, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare and commit my life to serving, caring for, and making a difference in the lives of others. In pursuit of this dream, I obtained my degree in Radiologic Sciences and began my healthcare career as a Radiologic Technologist. Over the past 25 years, I have been incredibly blessed to have progressively grown in my career, serving in various roles ranging from staff technologist to senior-level executive in complex hospital, outpatient, and practice management settings. The most pivotal part of my journey was my experience at CDI, where I was allowed to build several outpatient imaging centers from the ground up – from the center's design to turning the keys over to the new center manager a couple of months after opening. This experience allowed me to touch and learn every aspect of leading a successful healthcare organization.
What do you like to do with your free time? Any hobbies or passions?
As a busy and committed executive, I have to continue to remind myself to "never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life – Dolly Parton." As I get older (and hopefully wiser), I have done a much better job finding work-life balance. My number one joy is spending time with my family in my free time. On any given weekend, you will probably find us out on the water soaking up the sun and taking in the fresh ocean air as we decompress from the previous week. Beyond that, I enjoy traveling and experiencing new cuisine with my husband, along with an occasional escape to the spa. As a life-long learner, I am also passionately committed to my continued growth, so I spend a great deal of time reading, learning, and mastering new skills.
Do you have a mentor? Can you share the impact that person or people have had in your life?
Creating a culture laser-focused on excellence has the most significant impact in my current role—every decision we make affects the team and the health and well-being of the individuals we serve. I take my leadership responsibilities seriously and understand that I am a role model to others around me. As a result, I must make decisions and take actions with the highest level of integrity, honesty, respect, and fairness while always doing what is in the best interest of the patients and the organization. I continually challenge the team to set expectations for high performance, hold each other accountable, and stretch themselves beyond what they believe they are capable of. These efforts have resulted in marked operational, financial, and customer service improvements.
How would others define your communication style? Do you prefer to be close to your employees or maintain a healthy distance, and why?
Others would define my communication style as assertive, meaning a healthy balance between not being too passive or aggressive. Others have said that I am friendly, confident, articulate, and approachable, encouraging open, honest, and transparent dialog. While I am friendly with my employees and like to get to know them personally to understand what drives them, how they want to be recognized, and their goals, I prefer to maintain a healthy distance. I believe it is essential that the lines between leader and employee do not get blurred to remain fair and objective; thus, I set appropriate boundaries with my team.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? How did you overcome it, and what did you learn from it?
The biggest challenge I have faced in my career was breaking through the proverbial glass ceiling. In an industry where women consumers make 80 percent of the decisions and represent 65 percent of the workforce, only 13% of healthcare CEOs are women. I overcame this challenge through an unwavering commitment to excellence, creating a shared vision, engaging my team, working hard, continual growth, executing key initiatives, and driving real change. The lessons learned have been countless; however, as women and leaders in the industry, we must promote, inspire, encourage, support, celebrate, and build one another up.
What makes your practice stand out from the rest?
We are experiencing dynamic changes within the healthcare industry that require us to develop innovative solutions and make strategic decisions at an extraordinary pace to maintain our independence. Over the past five years, we have experienced significant growth to prepare us for the future, including the addition of five (5) new sub-specialized physicians, expansion with two (2) new locations, the addition of two (2) new Walk-In Clinics, and the opening of a wholly-owned ambulatory surgery center. As our community grows, the demand for our services continues to rise. As a result, we are working on breaking ground on a new main campus within the next two (2) years and adding additional sub-specialized surgeons to our team. As the leader of the organization, I will partner with our team to create a strong group culture focused on executing our growth strategies, leveraging collaborative relationships, building effective and efficient operating systems, containing costs, and delivering quality outcomes through value-based care.
What's the most enjoyable or fulfilling part of what you do?
The most fulfilling part of what I do is to create the best possible experience and outcomes for our patients. It is about making a personal connection with our patients as unique individuals, creating a compassionate and caring environment, treating them with dignity and respect, listening to and responding to their needs, and engaging them in their care plan to ensure the best possible outcomes. I am passionate about championing change focused on delivering the best possible experience for our patients and creating innovative solutions to transform the healthcare delivery system. Knowing that we are working together to achieve this common purpose is incredibly fulfilling.
