Becker's Hospital Review

WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP 53 CVS' CEO on taking up space By Alexis Kayser Karen Lynch, president and CEO of CVS Health, says she once considered herself "the plainest person you could ever meet." In a March 14 LinkedIn post, Ms. Lynch described her upbringing in a Massachusetts mill town and said that if you asked her what her career goal was in high school or college, she likely wouldn't have aimed very high. "At that time, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was a specific kind of individual considered to be leadership material, and as a result, able to access broad professional opportunities," Ms. Lynch wrote. "ose individuals didn't look like me or have my background." Despite working hard throughout college and landing professional roles for years thereaer, she was told she didn't fit the profile for a senior executive role at a large company. She recalls one incident, early in her career, when she was invited to a meeting of senior managers in her division. When she asked one where to sit, he said, "Sit in the back, not at the table, because women just take up space." Now, at the helm of a $357.8 billion company, Ms. Lynch has been named one of the most influential CEOs in the world. She has also been selected as Fortune's most powerful woman in business, three years in a row. She explores her journey in a new memoir to be published soon called "Taking Up Space: Get Heard, Deliver Results, and Make a Difference." n Donna Roach's 3 ideal traits for IT leaders to shape the future By Laura Dyrda Technology has always been a fast-paced field, and transformation in healthcare accelerated over the last three years. Rising IT leaders have the ability to shape the future of healthcare and the most effective leaders will embody three essential attributes, according to Donna Roach, CIO of University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City. 1. Leaders need to be agile. "Beyond mastering methodologies or frameworks, agile leaders embrace change as an opportunity," Ms. Roach told Becker's. "ey're the compass during turbulence, steering teams toward innovation and adaptability. ey can pivot easily while extending grace and confidence to others." 2. Authentic leaders will gain trust. "An authentic leader wears the same face at work and in the community," she said. "ey don't mask or hide vulnerabilities. Instead, they acknowledge strengths and weaknesses openly. Authenticity fosters trust, a cornerstone for collaboration and growth." 3. Humility will strengthen teams. "Humble leaders don't hoard the spotlight; they illuminate others," said Ms. Roach. "Like a gardener nurturing a diverse ecosystem, they empower team members to flourish. eir respect for each person's journey cultivates a fertile ground for collective development." n From arias to RCM: How opera singing helped Henry Ford Health's revenue cycle VP's healthcare career By Andrew Cass B efore she got into healthcare, Jennifer Rohs, vice president of revenue cycle at Detroit-based Henry Ford Health, was a professional opera singer. "Don't ask me how I got into healthcare revenue cycle from opera, but it's been quite the journey," she said on a March 2 episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast. She does, however, love when people ask her what she learned from her opera background that has helped her in revenue cycle. "You don't always think going from a creative career to a very finance-oriented segment has a lot of things in com- mon, but I have found there's a lot that has been transfer- able," she said. "Some things more than others, but first is probably discipline." She said when you study classical music, you really have to be self-motivated and very disciplined, spending "hun- dreds and hundreds of hours in the practice room." "No one makes you do that," she said. "The commitment and discipline required to perform at that level was very transferable to revenue cycle," she said. "You tackle prob- lems in revenue cycle that are complex and have no easy solutions. You have to be disciplined in your approach and persistent." Ms. Rohs said she also finds revenue cycle to be a very cre- ative enterprise. "With all of the complex issues that we face and really com- plex processes, there's a lot of room for creativity in how you design your work and your processes, technologies and automation." n

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