A return to ourselves
By Liz Withers, MD, MBA, Saint Joseph Chief of Staff
Two years! At the end of this year, I will step down as your chief of staff, my term coming to an end. Never has time passed so quickly for me. When I assumed the role at the beginning of 2022, we were just emerging from the dark days of the pandemic. It was my task and privilege to help lead us back to normality, and I appreciate the trust you gave me.
In the last two years, we leaned on each other to remember our lives pre-COVID. We hosted social events and recognized each other’s achievements. We renewed our focus on the quality care that built this hospital’s reputation. In time, we recaptured the spirit and camaraderie unique to the Saint Joseph medical staff.
This has been the highlight of my term – to help you reconnect with each other and to your purpose in pursuing a career in medicine. Hold it. Guard it. Feed it. You deserve to feel the joy that comes from a life dedicated to healing others.
There’s so much I’m proud to have helped develop in the past two years, and I want to mention two initiatives here: the Leadership Council and the APP Council.
Created by the MEC, the Leadership Council is available to help any physician who is struggling, personally or professionally. The group is made up of all the heavy hitters, the all-star list of our physician leaders. With strength and compassion, we approach (sometimes confront) physicians who need a course correction. They might seem angry or distracted. Maybe their behavior is preventing optimal teamwork.
The biggest surprise of my term is seeing how willing some physicians are to change. For the most part, they’re eager for feedback and appreciate the insight. Witnessing these acts of grace has opened my heart and mind to what it means to mentor a teammate. I’m better for it.
The next one really has nothing to do with me; I’m just so proud to cheer them on. The APP Council formed during my first year as chief. It’s a formal group of advanced practice providers dedicated to improving the influence, visibility and collegiality of APPs at Saint Joseph. Neko Upson is the council’s first chair and is the first APP to sit on the MEC. Her strength and courage are inspiring, and I applaud the group’s efforts.
Dr. Ann Ryan will step in as your new chief in January and will continue to drive and uplift these projects, along with many others. I’m leaving you in the best hands I could imagine. Ann is both a calm presence and a fierce advocate. She is super capable and loves Saint Joseph Hospital. My only regret is that I will not be onsite to support her as your immediate past chief.
As many of you have heard by now, in mid-February I will become the new chief medical officer at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette. So as I say goodbye to this role at the end of this month, I also will say goodbye to CPMG and Saint Joseph Hospital in six short weeks. I won’t be far, but I also won’t be here, as I launch a new chapter in my career as a healthcare executive.
It takes a strong and generous wrap-around team of people to make a physician leader successful. I’d like to thank Dr. John Tynes for being a wonderful partner and mentor. Our dialogue and his example have made me a better leader. I was also very lucky to follow the impressive lead of Dr. Chris Bates, whom I’d like to thank for his support and friendship.
The historical knowledge and wealth of information provided by Holly Church and the Medical Staff Services office was super human. You have no idea how much you don’t know about running a best-in-market medical staff. It’s mountains, and I’m deeply grateful they were my guides.
I’d also like to acknowledge everyone in Administration, particularly Jamie Smith and Jelden Arcilla, for spearheading the courageous conversations needed to ensure the best for our patients and this community. It’s been a privilege to work with them.
And now it’s time to move on. I think what I’ll miss most is the collegiality. In committees and on the floors, we all work together. We don’t know who’s employed by whom and it doesn’t matter. We’re all just Saint Joseph Hospital docs, looking through the same lens of providing the best care for the patient. It has been a source of pride and comfort for me for many years.
I feel overwhelming gratitude for being able to practice with such great colleagues. Thank you for the honor and, for the last two years, for giving me the opportunity to serve as your chief.