Becker's Hospital Review

64 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP Take the PTO, says Mercy's new exec By Alexis Kayser When Catherine Codispoti takes the reins as Mercy's new chief people officer, she plans to focus inward, on the people already there. Of course, recruitment is important in the era of clinician shortages, from nursing to respiratory therapy. But Ms. Codispoti — an experienced leader hailing from the same role at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. — says hiring isn't the only way to develop a strong workforce. "ere's a joke amongst a lot of the CHROs," Ms. Codispoti told Becker's. "Our new sound bite is that retention is your best recruitment tool, especially in this market." Although Ms. Codispoti doesn't start at the St. Louis-based system until December, she already has plenty of ideas that center retention as a key strategy: starting with a long, hard look at the care model. "We're at this inflection point," Ms. Codispoti said. "e pandemic really turned things upside down for us. So I think that there is a real opportunity to think and do things differently." For one, AI could help eliminate "transactional-type work," giving workers more time to do meaningful, fulfilling tasks. e times might call for entirely new healthcare roles, and for some employees to find novel ways to use their talents. Ms. Codispoti calls this the "career lattice"; workers can grow with the organization through internal training programs that develop a broad range of skill sets, rather than remaining in a fixed, ladder-like promotion model. Ms. Codispoti plans to encourage flexibility outside of the workplace, too, cultivating a culture that allows people to recharge guilt-free. "[I plan on] role-modeling as far as taking time off — really taking time off and recharging, and supporting folks in doing that — so they come back feeling refreshed. ey're able to have that time with their family that helps fill their cups," Ms. Codispoti said. "I think that's really important because many organizations have those benefits, but people don't use them. at's actually something we want them to do, because it makes them more productive and joyful when they're at work." Her focus on well-being extends to the benefits package. She's in touch with what modern workers need — especially Gen Z hires, who prioritize mental healthcare and student loan/tuition assistance. "ere's a lot of folks that come out into our [healthcare] industry with tremendous debt," Ms. Codispoti said. "So we want to do things to support them so they feel good from a financial wellness standpoint." Ms. Codispoti originally dedicated her career to pediatrics; her twin sisters have achondroplasia, and her childhood memories of hospitals are fond. She felt safe knowing her loved ones were taken care of, so spent her adulthood working in the children's sector: first at Houston- based Texas Children's, then at Children's National. But she's ready for the transition to adult healthcare, she said. "e beauty of the people role is that at the end of the day, the people all need the same things, right? It's the ability to feel fulfilled at work, to make meaningful connections, to have the resources they need so when they show up, they can do their best work and make those magic moments happen," Ms. Codispoti said. "And so that's what I'm super excited about, and the ability to do that across such a large system is very meaningful and impactful." n Most Ivy League presidencies now belong to women By Alexis Kayser A s a new school year winds up, something has shifted in the top offices of America's elite universities — for the first time in history, six out of the eight Ivy League colleges will be led by women. The rise of female presidents at Ivy institutions could open doors for other women, according to Ruth Gotian, EdD, chief learning officer at New York City-based Weill Cornell Medicine and author of an Aug. 1 Forbes article on the topic. Their climb to the top sends the message that "times are changing," which could inspire young girls to aim high, Dr. Gotian wrote. Female leaders are also more likely to elevate diversity and representation; for example, women were not included in clinical research trials until Bernadine Healy, MD, was named director of the National Institutes of Health in 1991. Although women have shattered glass ceilings at the Ivies, other institutions have yet to catch up, Dr. Gotian wrote. Around one-third of college presidents are women, despite the fact that women make up 60 percent of college students and graduate at higher rates than men. "This was a historic turning point for women who only started taking the top role in the Ivy League in 1994, with the appointment of Judith Rodin at the University of Pennsylvania," Dr. Gotian wrote. "Progress has been slow." These six women will lead their respective organizations through this "historic" year: 1. Claudine Gay, PhD. Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.) 2. Nemat Shafik, PhD. Columbia University (New York City) 3. Sian Beilock, PhD. Dartmouth College (Hanover, N.H.) 4. Christina Paxson, PhD. Brown University (Providence, R.I.) 5. Martha Pollack, PhD. Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.) 6. M. Elizabeth Magill. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) n

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