You wear dual hats at Northern Westchester Hospital serving as the Associate Executive Director of Operations and the President of the Foundation. Can you share a little bit about your specific responsibilities in each role as well as the relationship between the Hospital itself and the Foundation?
I serve as Associate Executive Director of Operations at the Hospital as well as President of the Hospital Foundation. They are actually both separate 501c3 organizations - while the hospital is over 100 years old, the foundation was established in 1999 to raise additional funds for the hospital. As a nonprofit, community hospital we are committed to treating everyone regardless of their ability to pay - in other words, everyone can expect the same level of high quality care.
A lot of the work that we do in the community is done through philanthropic dollars - some examples are the public health programs we run in local schools and flu clinics for seniors. We were also the first hospital in the county to start a robust vaping education program in the community - these programs are all possible because of the foundation. In addition to the work on the foundation side, I oversee approximately 300 team members responsible for the cancer center, the clinical lab, pharmacy, radiology, food and nutrition, internal communications, community health, our volunteer department and patient experience. We truly are a mission forward hospital and I feel so lucky to be part of a local leadership team and the Northwell Health system where that’s just part of our DNA.
Can you share a little about your path to healthcare?
I have always been someone who has been service driven. When I was younger, I thought I wanted to be in politics because that’s how I thought you got things done in an impartial and democratic way. I received my undergraduate degree in communications and had an internship at ABC news where I worked for Gil Noble, the producer of Like it Is, one of the longest running shows about African Americans. He was one of my greatest mentors and I was so grateful for that experience but I realized through that journalism wasn’t necessarily the path I wanted. At that time, you didn’t just say you wanted a career in the nonprofit world so I started in the educational space and eventually moved to environmental advocacy. I gravitated towards healthcare because I felt it encompassed everything I care deeply about- it’s the place where all care comes together. Working in healthcare I have the opportunity to access all these areas of interest - access to food, nutrition, medicine, education - that ultimately lead to healthy people and healthy communities.
I spent a couple years in the corporate world and while I knew it wasn’t right for me, I also learned to appreciate the concept of “no margin, no mission.” I recognized how important it was to bring a strong business discipline to your nonprofit - if you’re not strategic and fiscally responsible it’s harder to achieve success - just wanting to do good things isn’t enough. This is what led me to get my MBA in management and healthcare leadership.
What do you think has helped contribute to your success both in a leadership role at the hospital and running the foundation?
We are lucky to be part of a large network of local nonprofits and it is actually women who are driving a lot of these initiatives. I have been so lucky to meet so many women colleagues who are continuously supporting and encouraging one another. Women leaders like Carola Bracco at
Neighbors Link, Clare Murray at the
Community Center of Northern Westchester, Kara Whelan at
Westchester Land Trust, and Lindsay Farrell at
Open Door, Alyzza Ozer, the CEO of our local
Boys and Girls Club (and many others) who are generous in spirit, brilliant, and tireless - we have all grown together personally and professionally and a huge part of my success is due to their support. Developing, cultivating and maintaining relationships are not just important for us personally but for the community we serve.
You were born in Jamaica and immigrated to the United States when you were 16, can you share how your experience as an immigrant has helped shape your career?
There have been many spaces in my career where I have been the only woman, the only woman of color, the only immigrant so I recognize that I inevitably bring a different perspective. As I’ve gotten older and found my voice, I have felt it even more important to bring that voice to my job. Michael Dowling, the President and CEO of Northwell Health declared race as a public health crisis and I feel an even greater sense of duty and responsibility to use my seat at the table and my voice to represent those who have historically been left behind.
Fundraising is not an easy job. I’ve read that you have raised over $100 million over the course of your career. What specific skills do you think make a successful fundraiser? Do you think those skills can be learned/taught or are more intrinsic?
I think it’s so important to be clear about your “why” with donors. If what you are doing fills a gap you need to find a story that resonates and then find the people with whom that story and mission resonates. People think that fundraising is only about asking people for money, but I think about it more as giving people an opportunity to do something they really want to do - giving them a chance to do something good and then become part of that larger story of what we, as a group, are trying to accomplish.
What are the challenges in your job that most keep you up at night?
Definitely staffing and the availability of the talent we need in healthcare more generally. Not only do we not have enough nurses to serve our aging community but it cuts across the spectrum, everything from primary care physicians to behavioral health professionals and radiology techs.
What have been some of the proudest moments in your career?
I get so excited when team members I’ve worked with say that I’ve inspired them to go after a job that they wanted. I try to shadow different employees in the hospital and I recently spent time with a kitchen worker at the hospital. I asked him if he weren’t in his current role, what would he want to be doing? He told me he dreamed of being a cook, I encouraged him to apply for a job working on the cook line with our chef at the hospital and he’s now doing just that!
You can do so many different things in healthcare, from pilot to chef to painter. So many people think if they’re not going to be a doctor or nurse they can’t work in healthcare but there are so many opportunities like music or art therapy, accountant, or chaplain, where people are able to use their skills to help others. I love that what I get up to do every day can inspire someone else to find something they love to do as well.
What advice would you give to women running similar organizations or nonprofits?
I think it’s really important to cultivate your mission and values in life. Especially as a leader, you are constantly challenged to make decisions that impact other people’s lives. If you don’t take the time to define what drives you, you will likely make decisions that don’t align with your values and that may result in regret. In other words, do the work to cultivate who you want to be as an individual at your core and that will help guide you through those tough decisions.
Lightning Round:
New Business you’d most like to see in our area?
I’d like to see more opportunities to give people, especially young people, easy and affordable access to mental health services.
Most exciting advancement you’ve seen in the field of health care or the hospital?
mRNA vaccines that helped to give us significant relief from COVID at a much faster rate than any other vaccine had been developed. I also think advances in telehealth is critical to help solve the very real issue of equal access to care.
Place you’d most like to be if you weren’t in Northern Westchester?
I’d have to say North Carolina because that’s where our 19-year-old son is in school and I’m sure he’d just love for his parents to follow him there.
What would you do with one extra hour everyday?
I would read more fiction. I love to read but typically I’m reading more for work than fun.
