Barbara Joers became President and CEO of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in October 2013. Joers previously served as Vice President at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Chief Operating Officer at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and Director of Transformation Management and Improvement at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She was also a healthcare consultant with E&Y. Joers completed her administrative residency at Howard County General Hospital, part of Johns Hopkins Medicine and holds a master’s degree in Health Services Management and Policy from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Her volunteer and board memberships include serving on the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Chloe Barnes Advisory Council on Rare Disease (Minnesota), and on the board of Children’s Health Patient Safety Organization. Joers is also involved with Health Evolution as a Participating Fellow in a work group leveraging data to improve health equity and is active in collaborations with the International Hospital Federation.

How did you become an executive in the health care industry? Did you always have an interest in health care?

My interest in healthcare began in childhood with my own clinical care experiences. I was intentional about where I volunteered, which schools I attended, including high school, and which roles I took on early in my career. My focus was always on acute care clinical delivery, including regulatory policies and standards which inform how care can be provided. Over the years, my efforts generated effective outcomes and as a result, opportunities presented to me became increasingly complex. I was awarded an executive leadership position early in my career, and for more than 20 years I’ve had the privilege of influencing care delivery for those who need it.

You became CEO of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in 2013. For WBL members who may be pursuing a similar role, how did you know Gillette Children’s was the right fit for you? What due diligence do you recommend conducting prior to accepting a CEO role?

The way the Board and recruiter cultivated my interest in the role was effective. They began with a discussion on Gillette Children’s purpose, how the organization approached care delivery, and why Gillette needed my guidance. They quickly captured my interest by leading conversations with why Gillette Children’s is different and why the organization was important for the greater community, across our region and throughout the world. My attraction to serve at Gillette Children’s was clinched after I walked the hallways of our Saint Paul campus and experienced a genuine interaction between patients, their families, and staff.

For the CEO role I recommend several conversations with the Board, or its search committee. A few interview sessions are not sufficient to determine if there is alignment, including their interest in allowing you to influence how the Board governs and or is structured. I also recommend going into the organization unannounced; I still remember sitting in a baseball cap at the coffee shop at Gillette Children’s. I sometimes miss those days of anonymity.

What are your keys to maintaining a strong and supportive culture for your team and front-line workers?

Gillette Children’s is fortunate to have a clear and compelling mission and vision. We still work daily to assure our culture supports our values of compassion and understanding of others. We drive to discover improvements and innovation in all that we do. And, we do it all together, celebrating our differences to assure we deliver the best to those we serve. From hiring and retention practices to communication and relationship building, we lead with a focus on reaching the potential of our patients, our staff, and our organization. Time to do this with authenticity and vulnerability is a challenge we work through across the levels of leadership up through the CEO.

How has your leadership style evolved over the years? What’s had the biggest influence on your growth?

Development happened with each phase of my career, most notably when transitioning from COO to CEO. Decision making became more for the far future than the immediate need. How time was viewed and leveraged changed, influencing how I approached challenges and opportunities. My focus also evolved from developing staff and emerging leaders to developing dynamic and effective senior and executive leaders. Of course, each change, to be successful for you and your organization, needs to be based on authentic self-awareness and a willingness to learn and to embrace personal growth.

Personally or professionally, what might the WBL network be surprised to know about you?

I’m a mom who enjoys volunteering and supporting my daughter’s activities. I also enjoy time with my family – not so surprising or atypical. I get a lot of energy from attending and participating in events hosted by our hospital and the Gillette Children’s Hospital Foundation. My volunteer work as a board member of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals also helps me engage and learn from many other outstanding leaders.