Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/568709
81 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP The Corner Office: Carilion Clinic CEO Nancy Howell Agee on a Life Well Lived By Erin Marshall N ancy Howell Agee has seen almost every side of healthcare. Ms. Agee, RN, MN, has served as president and CEO of Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Va., since July 2011. e $1.5 billion nonprofit integrated healthcare organization includes eight hospitals, a mul- tispeciality physician group, the Jefferson College of Health Sciences and a joint ventured medical school with Blacksburg-based Virginia Tech. Ms. Agee began her career as a nurse at Carilion Clinic and has served in various capacities there ever since. She was appointed vice president of medical education in 1996. In 2000, she was named vice pres- ident of Carilion and in 2001, she became executive vice president and COO. In addition to serving as CEO, Ms. Agee was ap- pointed to the American Hospital Association board of trustees and will begin her three-year term Jan. 1, 2016. Here, Ms. Agee took the time to answer Becker's Hospital Review's seven questions. What's one thing that really piqued your interest in healthcare? Two things contributed to my interest. First, at age five, I was given a nurse's cap and a puppy, and luck- ily my puppy tolerated being bandaged. Ever since, I've wanted to be in healthcare. Later as a teenager, I had surgeries on my knee for a serious health issue, and I spent the better part of two years in crutches and a wheelchair. e expe- rience let me see what it's like to be inside healthcare from a patient's perspective. What do you enjoy most about the Roanoke area? I love Virginia and I love our region. I was actually born in the hospital that's the flagship of our system. We have a mix of urban, suburban and rural life in the area. In Roanoke, there's a big farmer's market operation that's been active for over 150 years. ere's also so much beauty in the area, especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which actually do look blue. ere's an 88-foot-tall neon star on top of the moun- tain, which you can see from the hospital. Because of the star, we call the Roanoke area the "Star City of the South." Of course, at the end of the day it's all about the wonderful people. If you could eliminate one of the healthcare industry's problems overnight, which would it be? Aer 40 years in healthcare and five years of the Affordable Care Act, it's hard to know where to begin. If I could truly blink my eyes and change one thing, it would be a complete transition from volume to value. Although there are a thousand other things I'd change, it's the right pathway to pursue. What do you consider your greatest talent or skill outside the C-suite? I'm not a cook, but I'm learning to be one. However, I am a bookworm and a speed reader. I read a lot of books related to healthcare and leadership, but I like biographies, historical novels and the occasional beach read as well. I'm also interested in management books, and someone just sent me an interesting book about mindfulness and compassion.