On June 23, 2017 leaders from across CHRISTUS Health gathered for the Health, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (HEDI) Council.  At CHRISTUS, the intense efforts to diversify staff and promote health equity has started to gain national and international attention from groups and other organizations working to duplicate how the HEDI Council works.

During their summer meeting, the HEDI Council welcomed Dr. Samuel Ross MD, a respected Baltimore physician and community leader, as the meeting’s guest speaker. The meeting was also used to greet CHRISTUS Health’s new executive fellows.

 

The current cohort of executive fellows are:  Reyaan Ali, Executive Access Director, Patient Logistics at CHRISTUS Spohn Health System; Angelia Dingle, Director of Nursing at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System-Medical Center and Shanna Thibodeaux, Director of Pharmacy at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Health System, along with two CHRISTUS Muguerza Executives in the CHRISTUS Muguerza Development Department: Luis Gerardo Ordaz Salinas and Isaac Arjona Alvardo.

When asked to share their vision of the future, HEDI Council members, made up primarily of high-profile CHRISTUS leaders, had fun sharing their thoughts on what leadership attributes and behaviors will be required for a more inclusive future that reflects the needs of a CHRISTUS patient.

We’ve compiled those words for you. Here’s their one word of wisdom–well, sometimes more than one–offered up to the new CHRISTUS Executive Fellows. But these words are applicable for anyone in health care looking to be a leader in their field and in their community.

Service

Remember you are always serving others.                                                                        Shawn Adams, Chief Financial Officer, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas

Joyful

Your ministry should bring you and others joy.                                                           George Avila, Vice President, CHRISTUS Health Mission Integration

Roots

Remember where you came from.                                                                                 Tiffany Capeles, CHRISTUS Health Director of Health Equity  

Patience

Ron Croy, Vice President, CHRISTUS Health Talent Acquisition

 

Courage

Be willing to step out of your comfort zone.                                                                       Dr. Dave Engleking, Chief Medical Officer, CHRISTUS Health Plan

Optimism

Preston Gee, Vice President Strategic Marketing

Inquisitive

Gerald “Gerry” Heeley, Senior Vice President & Chief Mission Integration Officer

Faith

  Put trust in those who support you.                                                                                     Dr. Marisa Johnson, VP of Medical Affairs, CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier

Passion

Chris Karam, President and Chief Executive Officer, CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System

Courage

You can’t do anything without it.                                                                                   Kimberly King, Vice President Labor and Employment Counsel, CHRISTUS Health

Optimism

Crystal Kohanke, Group Vice President, CHRISTUS Health Human Resources

Compassion

Don Lloyd, CEO, CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital

Excellence

Tim Martin, CHRISTUS Health Manager, Supplier Diversity, Contracting & Resource Utilization  

 

 

Flexibility

You will encounter diversity of thought and actions, people and personalities. Value them. Know their story. Stay flexible.                                                                                   Marcos Pesquera, Vice President Diversity and Health Equity, CHRISTUS Health

 

Creativity

Bring new ideas.                                                                                                                 Nadine Monforte, Project Manager I, CHRISTUS Health HEDI

 

Trust

Trust in yourself and the goodness of others.                                                                  Debi Pasley, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, CHRISTUS Health

Integrity

If you lose this, no one will follow you.                                                                                    Dr. Samuel Ross, Guest Speaker

Congruency

Be the same person as a leader as you are at home.                                             Bennetta Raby, System Director IM Stategic Planning, CHRISTUS Health

Voice

Choose wisely how you use it and what battles to fight.                                                       Lisa Reynolds, Vice President, CHRISTUS Health Talent Management

 

Listen, Open & Focus                                                            

Listening to others is key.  Be Open to make mistakes and correct them. Don’t have a list of 20-30 things on your to-do-list. Be a focused leader and have 2 to 3 major issues to tackle at one time. Ernie Sadau, CHRISTUS Health President and CEO

Transparency

This allows others to be open to you.                                                                                      Paula Vasquez, Student Intern

Shine

Don’t be afraid to shine in the process.                                                                         Wendy White, Group Vice President, Human Resources