Championing Inclusivity and Leadership at St. Joseph’s

1. What is the most rewarding part of your role at St. Joseph’s?

   

The most rewarding part of my role is the amazing relationships I’ve created with an exceptional group of people – with my leaders, Dr. Dukelow and Dr. Northcott, St. Joseph’s physicians, my director colleagues and my team members in medical affairs. To be able to help and support everyone and learn from their insights and wisdom by exchanging experiences and knowledge has been so tremendous. They’re all helping me grow and stretch myself. You know you’re in a good place when you look forward to going to work every day to spend time with people you care about, while wanting to go that extra mile together to make the organization shine.

2. Why did you choose a career in health care?

My choices were influenced by a desire to serve others and to represent my community in a leadership role that could help improve their health care experiences. As a young immigrant Asian kid, watching my grandmother and parents try to navigate the health care system was always challenging. Back then, the biggest disparity and challenge we had was communicating with the health care service or care providers we interacted with; experiencing some of this left a lasting impression that fueled my desire to bridge these gaps and make things better. I’m thankful these types of language/communication gaps are not as big of a barrier today with access to various translation services. It was only after I started my first job in health care, working as a team assistant in Toronto’s CCAC, that I realized there weren’t a lot of female visible minorities in health management positions holding leadership roles. That’s when it dawned me how I could achieve my two desires of service and leadership while being able to represent my community. 

3. Why do you choose to work at St. Joseph’s?

I’m so humbled that St. Joseph’s chose me to part of their family. Over the course of my career, I’ve followed and admired St. Joseph’s, even though I’m not from London. I followed the hospital because of its strong reputation in the health care industry as a leading academic teaching hospital that’s known for its service excellence and high-quality care and because when Dr. Gillian Kernaghan became the organization’s President & CEO it was still rare for women to be appointed CEO for an academic teaching hospital. When I heard she got the top job, I thought, “wow…she broke the ceiling.” What was even more compelling was when I learned about the, “Secret Sauce.” I read an article authored by Roy Butler, President & CEO and when he described the secret sauce, I was hooked. That was the moment I knew I had to be part of St. Joseph’s. Working for an amazing leader like Dr. Dukelow was also a very strong motivator in my choice.

4. How can we promote inclusivity for women in the workplace?

It’s important to welcome and encourage diversity of race, age, ability, faith, body image, and acceptance of how individuals identify. As a leader who is also a visible minority, I think it’s important for me to share my knowledge and experience, provide support, guidance, and encouragement to other women, particularly those from underrepresented or marginalized groups. Workplaces also need to find ways or to provide easier access to leadership opportunities and initiatives for women like offering mentorship programs or secondment programs and educational workshops that can help prepare them overcome barriers when they seek leadership roles. By championing and supporting inclusion in the workplace, it’s a win-win: you’re not only empowering women to thrive but it allows the organization to access an untapped leadership talent pool that is full of potential, offers diverse perspectives, and can result in better decision-making and innovation.