Chief strategy officer
HealthLinks Marketing
Health care runs in my family. I began my career in hospital marketing under the guidance of a strong female mentor who offered me a choice I’ll never forget: “I can give you a job, or I can give you some advice.” I chose the advice. She shared that she had been passed over twice for promotion because she lacked a graduate degree. That conversation changed the trajectory of my career.
Soon after, I enrolled in MUSC’s night program to earn my master’s in health administration while working full-time as a hospital marketing director. From mergers and acquisitions to new hospital openings and senior positions within for-profit health systems, hospitals became my training ground and shaped how I approach leadership today.
As a female senior administrator in the 1990s, I quickly learned that pay disparities were real. I earned significantly less than my male counterparts, despite holding the same responsibilities. For women on an upward trajectory in health care, my advice is simple: Stand firm in your values, seek mentorship and invest in your own advancement. Health care is a field that is both meaningful and mercurial. I thrive on its ever-changing landscape and compelling patient stories. That energy and background translates to robust strategy for our HealthLinks Marketing clients – and work being a passion versus a chore for me.
