What's an issue you think remains overlooked or under-addressed in terms of women in the professional world?   I think an issue that remains overlooked/under addressed in terms of women in the professional world is acknowledging women as equal contenders for vacant CEO/Leadership positions in large corporations/systems. I often over hear the use of male pronouns when describing the next CEO or leader of a organization. As if men are the only ones capable of taking on that role. For example,  I often hear, “I wonder who he will be” or “When he is hired, he will make changes” so on so forth. There are many women in CEO role in large companies and I believe it's time to adjust the launguage we use when it comes to predicting a next leader. 

What brought you to healthcare? Can you tell us about your professional journey?   I believe my strong interest in healthcare began when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree at Virginia Commonwealth University. There I started dance marathon which raises funds for our local children’s hospital, children’s hospital of Richmond. From organizing and leading this movement, I got to work closely with the Children’s hospital and I was able to see the magnitude of care hospitals provide for their patients. After graduating I was behavioral therapist at private autism clinic, however it wasn’t until I became a psychiatric technician at Children’s National medical center where I really got interested in the business side of healthcare. During my time a children’s national, I was lucky to have the freedom to manage a small psychiatric unit within the hospital ED. One night I had 27 patients boarding and that was when I started asking questions as to why pediatric psych units are closing down faster than they are opening, why is hard to find placement for these children, I thought it was as simple as rolling in an extra bed into the inpatient units. That specific night and general experience led me to pursue a career in healthcare administration.

If you had to choose an anthem what would it be?   I have a lot of musical anthems, but a important mantra for me is the quote “fall down seven times, stand up eight”. Falling down isn’t necessarily a failure but an opportunity for growth.

What advice would you give yourself early on in your career?   I am still very early in my career path but a HUGE advice I would give my college self is that life is not linear but more of this jumbled up, squiggly path. What’s meant for you will actually be far better than what you originally planned, so don't stress and enjoy the journey!

Get to know the rest of our Women of UCSF Health team here.