By Amanda N. Wegner
The demand for managers and administrators across the healthcare spectrum continues to expand at a rapid pace.
While the now-ended global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took its toll on the healthcare workforce, it’s finally started to rebound – even soar – and the healthcare management field is now expected to grow a tremendous 28% by 2032. This means there’s a great need for managers and administrators across the healthcare and hospital spectrum, needs that won’t be filled by those with clinical experience alone.
Thinking about a career in healthcare management and administration? Here four professionals share how to succeed in this fast-growing field.
Wofford Helps Ensure Top-Tier Operations for Atrium Health
Brian Wofford has the privilege to lead and drive operational excellence, team empowerment, and advocacy as Atrium Health’s vice president of operations for the Greater Charlotte Market’s North Area, which primarily provides care in North Carolina’s Mecklenburg, Stanly, Cabarrus, and Rowan counties.
“I serve by strategically guiding initiatives to enhance efficiency, synergy and overall growth,” he notes.
Wofford finds joy in projects where he can orchestrate successful collaborations with physician, nursing and administrative leaders to ensure top-tier operations.
“We recently did just that with leaders from our clinical services and hospitals. We conducted an inventory of the current state and plans across the Greater Charlotte Market, brought the relevant experts together for a collaborative discussion, where appropriate, and developed a strategy for how we’ll support enhancing performance in the new year,” he explains.
Wofford joined Atrium Health in Summer 2021 as vice president of clinical integration in the enterprise’s integration management office. His initial attraction to the organization was to the leadership of CEO Gene Woods. But as he continued to research Atrium Health and network with teammates within its workplace, he discovered the organization truly lives its “for all” mission every day.
In fact, it’s Atrium Health’s culture that Wofford most appreciates about the organization.
“We’re dedicated to improving health, hope, and healing for all of our patients, their loved ones, and our teammates,” indicates Wofford.
“We’re determined to be a national leader for health, learning and community. And we’re committed to creating spaces where all belong, working as one team, earning trust, innovating and driving for excellence.”
For career success, Wofford emphasizes the importance of building relationships.
“Perform exceptionally well and at the top of your game, but don’t underestimate the power of relationships, asking insightful questions, and knowing yourself,” he elaborates.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without family, friends, mentors, mentees and sponsors. I won’t get to where I want to be tomorrow without those individuals continuing to help and advise me along my journey.”
He also recommends that individuals who want to work in healthcare management should join organizations like the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) to establish a network and receive guidance from others in the field.
Finally, he advises recognizing that healthcare is evolving. “Your career journey may not be the exact path that’s planned or expected, but each opportunity is a gift filled with growth, development, and the chance to focus strengths on helping others,” concludes Wofford.
Atrium Health is headquartered in Charlotte, NC. Find career opportunities at careers.atriumhealth.org. Connect on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Jones’ Leadership at Northwell Health Supports Moms, DEI & Safety
Monique De Four Jones, MD, MBA, MS, wears numerous hats for Northwell Health.
“I do a lot here at the hospital because I have a lot of titles that have come with my career path,” indicates Jones.
Those titles include associate chief of labor and delivery for Katz Long Island Jewish Hospital, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for Northwell Health’s obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) service at Northwell Health, and director of the organization’s OB/GYN Hospitalist Fellowship.
“I’m a dynamic and forward-thinking healthcare executive that executes skills to ensure the OB/GYN department delivers quality care for moms while providing safety across our health system,” notes Jones.
“With my strategic leadership training, I focus on cultivating a deep working relationship and alliance with the faculty so they’ll adhere to the rigorous systems compliance standards, policies, and procedures.”
While Jones works on a number of projects and programs simultaneously, one about which she’s particularly proud is working with a colleague and Northwell’s corporate office to open a GoHealth urgent care center in Southeast Queens during the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“It took a lot to get a GoHealth opened in an area where there wasn’t one before,” remembers Jones. “It was great because instead of people overutilizing the emergency room, they now had a primary care option for a quick ambulatory visit.”
Jones is no stranger to Northwell Health; she did her early medical training at the Northshore Manhasset (NY) facility, as Northwell Health is the result of a merger between the North Shore Health System and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in the late 1990s. She returned to the organization after 25 years as an entrepreneur with her own private practice.
Jones most appreciates that Northwell Health is focused on collaboration and inclusiveness.
“Different departments in different areas, extensions, ambulatory, outpatients, and more all collaborate and work together for one goal: patient improvement and patient quality. It’s not just OB/GYN. We work for the betterment of all of our patients.”
She adds that the inclusive part is “making sure the people who work here feel included and are heard, and they make sure the patients feel included and heard, as well.”
To succeed in your career, Jones puts an emphasis on the importance of having a good mentor, or someone you admire who can provide advice and can guide you, as well as a good sponsor, or someone who can advocate on your behalf in the workplace and help advance your career.
A sponsor, she adds, also “sees your worth and pushes you up the ladder in an organization or business to say, ‘Hey, look at this person. They’d be a good candidate for this.’”
To find those individuals, she points out how you may need to look outside your circle.
As an entrepreneur and hospital administrator, Jones further offers this poignant advice: know your worth. “If you know your worth, then you can do anything,” she underscores.
“Never, ever stop believing in yourself and your dreams. If you believe in yourself and have those dreams, then you can get what you want. And don’t forget to smell the roses as you go along.”
Northwell Health is headquartered in New Hyde Park, NY. Find career opportunities at jobs.northwell.edu. Connect on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Bailey Develops & Directs Strategies to Support Community Health at Cleveland Clinic
Jacquelyne Elise Bailey, Ph.D., senior director of community health equity for Cleveland Clinic, is helping ensure everyone in the community can live at the highest level of health.
In her role she plans and executes strategies to reach patients where they are, including creating access to care and developing interventions to reduce disparities and promote health equity in Northeast Ohio.
“So much is spent on healthcare, but we know some people don’t have access to great care – it’s baffling,” she notes. “But we have the chance, every day, to change that in the neighborhoods across our entire footprint.”
Most recently Bailey and her team were instrumental in launching Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Community Health Workers, thanks to a gift from the Jones Day Foundation. The center recruits and trains trusted individuals from the communities it serves who work with patients to identify and address barriers to care and social services.
One issue these community health workers are helping tackle is infant and maternal health.
“We’re building community health workers around pregnant moms who might live in the inner city and not have full access to care,” explains Bailey.
“With community health work, the social drivers of health are taken care of: housing, food and transportation to appointments. They make sure those things happen to ensure the health of the mom and her children. We want to improve health outcomes for moms and babies.”
A counselor by training, Bailey spent most of her professional life overseeing operations for a national career development organization that recruited college students and placed them in internships. Because the position required travel, when she was diagnosed with cancer, she needed to change jobs, and her oncologist told her about an opportunity with Cleveland Clinic.
“I never thought about working in healthcare, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made,” says Bailey, who’s now been with the organization for 12 years.
Bailey loves that Cleveland Clinic is known for providing world-class care and for leading efforts to create the healthiest community for everyone. “That helps me wake up every day – leadership believes in caring for the community. That gives you a special feeling.”
She also appreciates working with community partners “because we can’t do all of the work ourselves.”
Based on her prior experience in the career development industry, Bailey advises “testing the waters” to help determine your life’s work.
“Test things early in your career that you had not thought of,” she elaborates. “Internships or shadowing experiences can open your eyes to something you didn’t think was there for you. Meet people and network – that brings ideas, shapes your opportunities, and gives you experiences to try.”
For those already in their career field, consider a horizontal move. She notes that it may not be what you want, but it may lead to something bigger or provide the experience needed to move ahead.
The Cleveland Clinic is headquartered in Cleveland, OH. Find career opportunities at jobs.clevelandclinic.org. Connect on X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
White Blends Passion, Education & Experience in Her Roles at Texas Health Resources
Toya White, JD, MBA, MSN, APRN, FACHE, FNP-C brings passion, personal history and clinical experience to her blended role at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman.
“I oversee the day-to-day operations, and am responsible for implementing and driving strategies that align with organizational goals,” says White, who’s the hospital’s chief operating and nursing officer.
White was inspired to work in healthcare after watching her grandfather navigate lung cancer as a teenager and witnessing the support of those who cared for him.
“He was blessed to have amazing clinicians,” White recalls. “I wanted to be the person that helped improve outcomes. His providers didn’t treat him like another person with a cancer diagnosis, but yet they worked to focus on holistic care and incorporation of him and his family in the treatment decisions.”
White began her healthcare career at Texas Health Dallas as a nurse extern in the early 2000s. After completing her master’s degree in nursing and becoming certified as a nurse practitioner, she returned to Texas Health Dallas in 2012. She also went on to complete her law degree and MBA.
All during her tenure at Texas Health Resources, White has taken on increased responsibility and leadership tasks and roles. Her current position, which she took in 2021, brings together her education with experience in operations and as a nursing executive.
“So much intersects with healthcare,” points out White, whose background, education and experience have blended well to help her succeed in her current role.
Her desire to work for a healthcare leader initially attracted White to the organization.
“I wanted to work at the best place, and Texas Health had that reputation even then,” recalls White, who was also attracted to the organization’s culture and commitment to relationships and growing its people.
Texas Health placed number three nationally in Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Healthcare 2023. Fortune also selected Texas Health as one of the Best Workplaces for Women 2023.
As a leader in the organization, White also appreciates that Texas Health offers many access points to meet the needs of the communities it serves. “There are many healthcare systems in the area, and it’s a competitive landscape in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX area. Texas Health Resources meets the needs of our patients with more than 300 points of entry into the healthcare system to serve the community and meet the needs of the community.”
For aspiring healthcare leaders, White offers advice she received from a mentor: you don’t need to know everything.
“It’s an impossible standard. Instead, talk less and listen more. Engage subject-matter experts and leverage the knowledge of other people. That’s helpful in building relationships and gaining trust and buy-in.”
She also underscores the importance of getting exposure. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to people in different positions to talk about their roles, ask questions, and learn how to grow and gain exposure. That helps to broaden your network,” elaborates White.
And, finally, White recommends aligning your work to your “why,” or reason, which she first discovered via her grandfather’s cancer experience. “If you’re not aligned to your why and what drives you as a leader, then you’ll burn out or get to the point where you’re not effective.”
Texas Health Resources is headquartered in Arlington, TX. Find career opportunities at jobs.texashealth.org. Connect on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest.
Captions & Callout Quotes:
Brian Wofford is Atrium Health’s vice president of operations for the Greater Charlotte Market’s North Area, which primarily provides care in North Carolina’s Mecklenburg, Stanly, Cabarrus and Rowan counties.
“Your career journey may not be the exact path that’s planned or expected, but each opportunity is a gift filled with growth, development, and the chance to focus strengths on helping others.”
Monique De Four Jones, MD, MBA, MS is the associate chief of labor and delivery for Katz Long Island Jewish Hospital, the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for Northwell Health’s obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) service at Northwell Health, and the director of the organization’s OB/GYN Hospitalist Fellowship.
“If you know your worth, then you can do anything.”
Jacquelyne Elise Bailey, Ph.D. is the senior director of community health equity for the Cleveland Clinic.
“Meet people and network – that brings ideas, shapes your opportunities, and gives you experiences to try.”
Toya White, JD, MBA, MSN, APRN, FACHE, FNP-C has a blended role with Texas Health Resources where she’s the chief operating and nursing officer for Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman.
“If you’re not aligned to your why and what drives you as a leader, then you’ll burn out or get to the point where you’re not effective.”