In celebration of International Women’s Day today, we decided to celebrate rising female leaders in Healthcare and Aviation by asking a few of our own here at Angel MedFlight to share how their mentors inspired them to empower others. Here’s what they want you to know:
1. Empowerment is a gift
"I have been fortunate to have had access to leadership who expected me to be the truest version of myself, both in and out of the workplace. This ignited a deeper level of understanding in 'working towards excellence' each and every day, in the work I do and in the relationships I am privileged to develop.
This became a two-way value exchange as I increased in comfort and confidence to both be empowered and to empower. We bring so much to the table; empowering others is not relegated to a few good women, but rather a great gift we give to each other!”
Karen Marie Derr, Business Development Manager
2. Remember everything starts with earning respect
“I have been fortunate to work among many successful professional women in my career. Their success was demonstrated by earning the respect of colleagues in all positions. Reliability, accountability, compassion, confidence, patience, and strong ethical standards are all characteristics that help me to continually develop into being the best professional I can be.”
Shelley Schlossberg, Director of Human Resources
3. Build other women up
“I am fortunate enough to have had two mother figures who have empowered me to believe I can achieve whatever goal I set. Both my mother and step mother have been successful businesswomen and have provided me a great example of building women (and all people) up instead of seeing competition and rivalry.
I have embraced this mentality in my career and love seeing women in aviation being afforded an opportunity to grow and take on leadership roles. It is not necessarily about being a woman, it is about being treated as a professional and being afforded equal opportunity to advance and participate in growth. My sincerest wish is to provide my daughter an equally strong illustration of what healthy leadership looks like."
Wendy Whitaker, Dispatch Manager & Safety Officer
4. Lead by example and by kindness
“My parents passed away when I was young, so the woman who I look up to is my Aunt Kathy. She filled that motherly role that I was missing and taught me how to not only be a great mother, but to work hard for everything in life. She leads by example and has instilled that quality in me. It is okay to be tough and independent, and to not accept less than you deserve from anyone at work or home, but you must also be honest, understanding, and kind to others.”
Stephanie May, Revenue Cycle Manager
5. Always do what's right
“So many different men and women have touched my life and helped shape me into who I am. I guess if I had to identify one person it would be my Grandfather Heywood Mauer.
From him I learned that it is better to remain honest, than to gain riches through poor work ethic. That you should treat people fairly, regardless of your personal feelings or theirs. That you should always do and say what’s right, even if it is painful. He imparted to me the desire to remain true to myself, so I would always be able to look myself in the eye and know I did the right thing.”
Bambi Pish-Derr, Director of Clinical Services & Chief Flight Nurse
6. Be confident and stay open
“I've been fortunate to have strong female leaders and strong male leaders who support them since I started in Healthcare. The mentor who always stands out in my mind is Sandra Hoefer, the Vice President of Global Marketing for an international healthcare manufacturer. She said 'always be open to ideas and be confident in your decisions'.
I was in awe of Sandra's ability to lead and cultivate strong, future leaders. As a manager she considered helping those under her to succeed an important part of her role. My career, abilities, and confidence in my experience wouldn't be the same without having worked for her. I hope I can inspire other women to believe in themselves in the same way over my career through empowerment, generosity, and of course, content."
Naomi Garnice, Content Marketing Manager
7. Understand how your choices impact others
“My mom laid the foundation for me as a female leader. She taught me to always be independent, strong and compassionate.
As a young Respiratory Therapist, I had the great pleasure of working for Kim Lawrence, another Respiratory Therapist who was a Regional Ops Manager for a very large home care company. She expanded on the values my mom had laid the foundation for.
She always said “stay true to yourself”. Look at the entire view and understand how your decisions impact the company and employees. Never make a decision based on emotions. I try to instill these same values in my own daughter as she will be a future female leader in years to come."
Tracy Green, Director of Revenue Cycle
8. Work together, it's always a winning strategy
“While I have never had an official mentor, I am certainly inspired by strong women in the healthcare field. I have grown professionally by working with Case Managers who believe that knowledge should be shared. I am impressed by these busy women who are so generous with their time and leadership, continually reaching out to guide new professionals. By sharing their experience through educational seminars and articles, healthcare veterans are helping others follow in their footsteps while encouraging them to forge a new path forward. These amazing women teach us that when we work together, we all win."
Kimberly Halloran, Vice President Business Development
Happy International Women's Day
Happy International Women's Day from all of us at Angel MedFlight. Today is about women everywhere, including the women who inspire us across the National Case Management Community daily.
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