Barbara:

I applied for a Project Manager position based on my skills, expertise, and experience - not because it was in healthcare supply chain. However, I stay in the industry because I appreciate the importance of working in an environment where I can directly impact people's lives.

Annette:

Prior to supply chain, I worked in finance and IT. Healthcare supply chain interested me because there are complex problems to solve. I also see the importance of work that directly impacts hospital operations.

Becca:

I decided to work in healthcare supply chain to ensure clinical teams have medical supplies readily available so they can provide quality care to patients.

Erica:

I absolutely love providing supplies to our clinicians and staff. I have always enjoyed the whole supply chain process, from start to finish. It's like going into a well-stocked kitchen, where all the ingredients available inspire chefs to cook. Going into a well-stocked supply room makes a clinician's experience easier and much more enjoyable.

Becca:

I enjoy engaging with our leadership to solve problems and working with our Integration Community to implement supply conversions. It is also fulfilling to know we are providing support to our clinical teams for the care of our patients.

Nina:

I enjoy how fast-paced and challenging the healthcare supply chain industry is. I believe it takes a village to raise a community, and we, in healthcare supply chain, play an important role in the health and care of our communities. I am very passionate about creating diverse partnerships and building our communities. 

Cindy:

Although much of our work is behind the scenes, we serve our communities by ensuring our frontline healthcare workers have the medical supplies and equipment they need. In my prior career, my work benefitted retailers and manufacturers, but at Ascension St. Vincent we ultimately benefit the health of our fellow humans. 

Nina:

I bring a great deal of care, compassion, and empathy to my leadership style, especially as I build professional relationships with my associates. These qualities are not only known to be held by women, but historically, we as women tend to be great at utilizing these qualities in all we do.

Sally:

I think I can adapt to anything. As women our bodies, our roles, and our worlds are always changing. Becoming comfortable with change is so helpful in the workplace, especially in the healthcare supply chain industry as it is always evolving.

Cindy: 

Whether I speak with team members, vendors, or other hospital leaders, I communicate with tact and professionalism. Listening and being curious are also skills that make me a strong communicator. When my associates are present, I can demonstrate those skills by example. More than once, a direct report has thanked me for knowing the right words to say.

Barbara:

I am proud of the cohesive teams I have had the pleasure of leading. I am also proud of the associates I have mentored and helped to become leaders. It is with great joy that I have watched them grow and thrive as leaders. I am also proud of the strong relationships I have built across all of my sites with the clinical leaders and executives.

Sally:

In the 1990s, the Director and I worked with HR to allow the non-union purchasing staff to have flexible work hours, which was not a norm back then. We worked to create core hours associates were expected to be at work for meetings, but start and end times were flexible. This flexibility helped several associates who struggled with daycare and elderly or sick parents and allowed us to keep valuable associates.

Carole:

I am most proud of changing the cultures of the departments I have worked in. I had previously worked within several departments where the cultures were not supportive and were dysfunctional, inefficient work environments that bred discontent within the teams. After sharing standards of a collaborative and high-functioning team and supporting the team, I worked to change the negative culture. By exemplifying collaboration, positivity, kindness, hard work, and equality, associates began to embrace change and the new TEAM culture. This change made me extremely proud, and we created a supportive, healthy work environment.

Keisia:

One word: Culture. Wherever I am, I promote a culture of excellence without the confinement of perfectionism. My goal is to offer space that fosters learning and opportunities. As a result, my team was inspired to continue working to build a positive culture (because they know it's possible), which increased their productivity and fostered trust between the team and myself.

Erica:

Supply chain people are a special breed. It's a thankless job but so extremely rewarding. Learn and understand it's our job to reduce stress of our clinical staff by giving them supplies so they can provide patient care. We may only provide indirect patient care, but we do provide it nonetheless.

Annette:

At the end of the day, it is a great opportunity to be a servant leader and give back to your community. You will find peace at the end of most days knowing you have done your best to provide those most vulnerable with the best experience possible under their circumstances.

Carole:

Being a faithful person, I would share to trust and surrender your life to God's plan. His plan is so much more than you can imagine and the blessings are the most pure. My other advice is to be true to yourself. You are so much stronger as your real self than if you try to be someone you are not. One of my favorite quotes is from Amelia Earhart, "The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life and the procedure. The process is its own reward." 

Keisia:

Find a mentor and a sponsor. As you progress there will be people who you will meet that inspire you to strive to be a better leader. Look for those people, spend time with them, and learn from their advice.