Leaders share insights, wisdom for Women’s History Month

We’re celebrating Women’s History Month by highlighting leaders throughout Beacon, women who help shape the organization and who share their knowledge, expertise and compassion with others in their service to our community.

Learn more about these inspiring leaders each week in this special series.

Susan King, President, Beacon Health Foundation, describes Kimberly Green Reeves, MPA, Executive Director of Beacon Community Impact:

What skills and abilities does Kimberly bring in her current role at Beacon?
There are two attributes to Kimberly’s work that makes her an outstanding leader.

The first is that by knowing herself, she is able to make appropriate decisions and achieve the goals she has set. The second attribute is her willingness to get outside her comfort zone and take on new challenges.

What lessons or words of wisdom about leadership does she exemplify or demonstrate?
Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur said, “Leadership is to help those who are doing poorly do well and to help those who are doing well do even better.” Everyone on Kimberly’s team knows she is there to help them develop the skills they need to advance their careers and to support the mission of Beacon.

What are some qualities about her that make her an inspiration to others?
Kimberly makes an effort to see situations from others’ perspectives and makes decisions with her team’s and the organization’s best interests in mind. She works to ensure that everyone has the resources and knowledge they need to meet their objectives.

How does Kimberly seek out and develop the skills of women who work with her?
Kimberly intentionally develops the skills of everyone she works with. She models critical characteristics that are particularly important for women in the workplace to be empowered and developed as leaders. They include communication, negotiation and persuasion skills, as well as acknowledging and addressing circumstances and obstacles that many working women face and working to eliminate or minimize those barriers.

How does Kimberly face challenging times, for example, during the pandemic? How did she lead or bring teams or individuals together?
At any time, pre- and post-pandemic, leaders are going 100 miles per hour, often in no specific direction which depletes everyone and gets us nowhere. What I appreciate about Kimberly’s leadership is her focus to establish a vision beyond what is right in front of her and getting buy-in from her team and others within and outside of Beacon. Inspiring a vision before setting the course is Kimberly’s super power!

What would you say to thank Kimberly for her leadership, compassion and wisdom?
Thank you for being a compassionate leader! Kimberly takes the longer-term vision and does what is best for everyone in a manner that is straightforward and supports learning and growth for everyone and supports the goals of the organization.

Kimberly Green Reeves, MPA, Executive Director of Beacon Community Impact, about Beacon Health Foundation President Susan King.

What skills and abilities does Susan bring in her current role at Beacon?
Susan is a Beacon of hope. She is extremely skilled at fund raising for important projects across the system. She is also a champion for community health. She is skilled at setting strategy collaboratively. She is also a great storyteller – necessary for making connections.

What lessons or words of wisdom about leadership does she exemplify or demonstrate?
Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. —Peter Drucker

What are some qualities about Susan that make her an inspiration to others? 
Susan is steadfast. She is compassionate and trustworthy. She also challenges the status quo. She is a planner, often thinking ahead in order to strategize. She faces challenges head on.

How does she seek out and develop the skills of women who work with her?
She allows her team to lead and offers guidance along the way. She is a thought leader who asks tough questions. She identifies tools, training and people who can offer assistance. She also includes you in professional growth opportunities.

How does she face challenging times (for example, during the pandemic?). How did she lead/bring teams or individuals together?
Susan is very supportive. She is responsive. When challenges arise, she offers creative ways to tackle the issue.

What would you say to thank her for her leadership, wisdom and compassion?
Thank you for your leadership and willingness to see Community Impact and its possibilities for the system and patients we serve. Your support has been unwavering. We continue to finds ways to elevate our work in new ways and it’s because of your guidance that we are able to do so. You are a loyal ally, my closest collaborator and a valuable source of support.

Rachel Savoie, MSL, BSN, RN, Vice President of Operations, Memorial Hospital, shares her thoughts about the leadership of Sarah Paturalski, MBA/MSN, RN, Vice President, Nursing & Clinical Services.
Sarah’s presence is magnetic, impactful and motivating. She leads with a transparent and collaborative approach that makes working toward outcomes within reach and fun. She is a motivator and is skilled at converting pressure in productive work that brings out a level of ownership and trust that resonates for her teams and beyond. She truly knows how to bring the best out of those she serves by cultivating individual talents and aiming her teams to a true north (our patients, community and teams).

Sarah has an uncanny ability to generate and articulate a vision that can be easily seen and understood. She believes shared excitement is imperative to achieving a common goal and directs quite a bit of energy toward communication, people and presence. Sarah is a pillar of enthusiasm and is passionate in highlighting talents among leaders and teams. She will always put energy and effort into others because she knows that people are our brightest light and guiding force to providing exceptional care.

Sarah is an optimistic and encouraging leader. She enhances and supports ideas and hard work by limiting barriers, speeding toward success and celebrating accomplishments often. She is people-focused in her decision making, actions and leadership. She leans in, learns, guides and walks side by side to inspire others daily.

She means a great deal to me personally. She has pushed me to think big, creatively, quickly and strategically all while keeping the heart of our organization close. She has always made it known that she believes in me and that together we will always achieve more.

Sarah Paturalski, MBA/MSN, RN, Vice President, Nursing & Clinical Services, Memorial Hospital, shares her insights about Rachel Savoie, MSL, BSN, RN, Vice President of Operations.

What skills and abilities does Rachel bring in her current role at Beacon?
Rachel has a strong analytical brain and a communication style that can bring data to life and make it understandable for the end user. She is wildly capable of great things and empowers those around her to dig deep for greatness. She has the ability to hold others accountable and instill the assurance that she is always supporting their efforts. She stays up to date in the industry and relies on data and industry standards to guide her decision making. Rachel is curious and learns by asking great questions and learning from the experts around her. She doesn’t feel the need to be the smartest or the best in the room; rather, she is the leader who ensures the smartest and the best are in the right roles to help make the right decision. She strongly believes that one of her “jobs” is to help others become great leaders!

What lessons or words of wisdom about leadership does she exemplify or demonstrate?
Rachel isn’t afraid to take risks in honor of the right decisions — she isn’t afraid to say, “That didn’t work and let’s try again.” She strongly believes that the strengths of the entire team are what makes greatness happen and so she leans into mentoring and coaching others. She seems to never, ever stop learning and serves as a great example to others — she is committed to lifelong learning and growth. Rachel is passionate about providing the right care for patients with a great experience for them along the way. Leaders in health care need to be rooted in passion for the patient. Rachel is a role model for this and often asks, What does the patient need from us?

What are some qualities about her that make her an inspiration to others?
Rachel is well-balanced. She is an awesome mom to two busy kids and works alongside a business-owning husband. She has even made time to be a cheerleading coach in the past. She knows when and where she needs to spend her energy and does it wisely. Balancing work in the workplace and work as a mom is tough stuff. I’m certain it’s not always easy, yet Rachel does so with GRACE and is inspiring to other moms in the workplace!

How does she seek out and develop the skills of women who work with her?
Rachel works hard to develop ALL of the people around her. She tries to understand how people prefer to receive feedback and continually coaches. She loves to see other people be successful as well as see other people land in spots that they fall in love with. She naturally fosters growth in others.

How does she face challenging times, for example, during the pandemic? How did she lead/bring teams or individuals together?
Rachel takes challenge at face value. She seeks to understand the facts and then looks for a path to the solution. She understands the value and need to continuously move forward through challenging times as there is a solution and we need to dig until we find it. She works elbow-to-elbow with teams as to not only shepherd teams through tough (and through fun) times but also to ensure they know that she is supporting them through the process. When I think of Rachel leading her teams through challenging times, I think of, “We are all in this together.” On the first evening/night we opened our first Covid unit, Rachel got a cup of coffee and said, “We are doing this.” She stayed side-by-side with the staff and they did it together. This tends to be how she approaches all challenging times.

What would you say to thank her for her leadership, wisdom and compassion?
Rachel, it’s been an honor to lead and work alongside you. Your curiosity and genuine want to learn is inspiring and keeps those around you in an environment rich in learning. Your growth over the last several years is inspiring by itself. Your deep-rooted passion for patients is inspiring and your fabulous leadership has left a mark all over our organization. Thank you for challenging me and helping me grow!

Maria Behr, MBA, BSPharm, President, Three Rivers Health, describes Hope Bailey, DNP, RN, Vice President of Nursing.

What skills and abilities does Hope bring in her current role at Beacon?
Hope is a seasoned nursing leader who has worked her way through several different leadership levels at Three Rivers Health. When an opportunity for improvement is identified, Hope has the ability to bring her team together, create excitement around the opportunity to improve and to achieve buy-in. She also brings passion about clinical excellence in her current role as vice president of Nursing.

What lessons or words of wisdom about leadership does she exemplify or demonstrate?
Hope is a role model for integrity and always doing what is right. She is also a servant leader — she is always ready, willing and able to help her team, regardless of what is needed.

What are some qualities about Hope that make her an inspiration to others?
Hope cares deeply about Three Rivers Health and the community that we serve. As a native of Three Rivers, she never loses sight of the fact that we are here to serve patients. She places the patient at the center of everything she does.

How does Hope seek out and develop the skills of women who work with her?
Hope models critical thinking skills that are important for any leader. She takes the time to empower her team to take on new challenges and supports them in their journey.

How does she face challenging times? How does she lead and bring teams or individuals together?
Whether it’s the pandemic or any other challenge that healthcare leaders face on a daily basis, Hope has a can-do attitude and the drive to get through any challenge. Her approach is to assess the situation, figure out the direction and course needed, communication to her team and then execution. She does so with focus and grit.

What would you say to thank Hope for her leadership?
Hope, thank you for being a leader who cares about the community of Three Rivers, prioritizes clinical excellence, supports our organizational goals and provides support and growth opportunities for your team.

Hope Bailey, DNP, RN, Three Rivers Health Vice President of Nursing, shares her thoughts about the leadership of Maria Behr, MBA, BSPharm, President of Three Rivers Health.

What skills and abilities does Maria bring in her current role at Beacon?
Maria brings a wealth of operational knowledge to Three Rivers Health. She has been in leadership for many years and demonstrates a servant leader’s heart. Maria is the calm in the storm, she never wavers and brings a sense of peace to the daily healthcare woes. She is mild-mannered and always respectful, even while she is standing her ground, an example for many in leadership.

What lessons or words of wisdom about leadership does she exemplify or demonstrate?
She is a “get it done” kind of person. Maria is meticulous about detail and covering every aspect before making a decision. She asks all the “whys” before an action is taken. Maria will say, “OK, so how do we move forward from here?” She does not perseverate over what is done — she keeps things moving.

What are some qualities about Maria that make her an inspiration to others?
Maria is a philanthropist at heart. She participates on many local boards in Three Rivers and quickly became a leader in the local United Way Campaign. Maria donates her time at the Ronald McDonald House in South Bend and always walks away feeling like she received more than she gave. She is a positive force who does not tolerate negativity nor a “glass half-empty outlook.” She turns it around to be a positive in every situation.

How does she seek out and develop the skills of women who work with her?
Maria is an example of quiet strength. She leads others through teaching and education. She will show someone something as many times as it takes for them to understand and never show frustration. She in an encourager, servant leader and demonstrates an ability to make tough decisions every day to lead the organization in a sustainable direction. Maria builds the team up and instills confidence while encouraging them to succeed.

 How does Maria face challenging times? How does she lead or bring teams or individuals together?
Maria led Three Rivers through the integration during the end of the pandemic and continues to support the organization through the changes of becoming one with a health system. She does not shy away from challenges and she embraces change. She encourages and pushes those she leads to be better today than they were yesterday. She is able to make tough decisions when they are the right decisions and always keeps staff, patients and the community in the forefront of her mind while making decisions, whether tough or not. Three Rivers Health is fortunate to have Maria as the president with her core values aligning so well. Maria demonstrates integrity, respect and compassion with every interaction.

What would you say to thank Maria for her leadership, wisdom and compassion?
Maria, thank you for your leadership and innate ability to stay positive in today’s climate. Healthcare is constantly changing, and you are the perfect person to assist Three Rivers Health with moving forward along every changing paradigm. You are knowledgeable about healthcare as it stands today. Your vision of how Three Rivers Health as part of a system will grow, prosper and continue to survive is important to this community and I am glad you chose us to follow your lead. Your compassion for others is one of the things I admire most. I appreciate philanthropy being a priority for you and the example you set for your team. You have been the calm through much transition over the past 18 months and I appreciate you more than you know. I am looking forward to working closely with you over the years to make Three Rivers Health better than it is today.

Andrea Koontz, Director of Operations at Community Hospital of Bremen, describes Sue Bettcher, MSN, BSN, RN, Executive Director of Patient Care Services:

What skills and abilities does Sue bring in her current role at Beacon Health System?
Sue brings strong clinical knowledge to her role as Executive Director of Patient Care Services at Bremen. She brings her years of experience as a bedside nurse and best practice standards to teach, develop policy, review products and lead.

What lessons or words of wisdom about leadership does she exemplify or demonstrate?
Lead by example. Sue gets in the trenches and does the work. She works and leads alongside her staff. You will frequently find her at the bedside, and helping on any shift that has staffing needs. Sue will always put patient care needs first and has the compassion to see the whole patient.

What are some qualities about Sue that make her an inspiration to others?
Sue is passionate about caring for others. This goes beyond patient care and includes her staff, her friends and her family.

How does she seek out and develop the skills of women who work with her?
Sue has been a mentor to several members of her staff who were working on advancing their education. She provided time to meet with them, review questions and develop projects.

How does she face challenging times? How does she lead and bring teams or individuals together?
Sue takes on challenges head-on. She is not afraid to try different approaches to solving problems and has a positive, “We can get this done” attitude. She has the ability to think outside the box and doesn’t hesitate to try new ways to attack issues that arise.

What would you say to thank you for her leadership, wisdom and compassion?
Most of all, I would like to thank Sue for taking the position of Medical/Surgical Manager many years ago when I interviewed her. I’m not sure she expected her career at Bremen to take the course it did, but we are grateful for her.

Over the years working together, we have supported each other, saw Bremen expand services and quality, and move from an independent hospital to becoming part of a system and have become great friends.

We are a small, but strong, team at Bremen.

Sue Bettcher, MSN, BSN, RN, Executive Director of Patient Care Services at Community Hospital of Bremen, shares her thoughts about Andrea Koontz, Director of Operations:

What skills and abilities does Andrea bring in her current role at Beacon Health System?
Andrea brings a wealth of diverse experience which makes her a perfect fit for her role. What I love most about Andrea is the passion for caring for our community.

What lessons or words of wisdom about leadership does she exemplify or demonstrate?
To quote from Robin S. Sharma, “Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration.”

What are some qualities about Andrea that make her an inspiration to others?
Andrea possesses a great amount of compassion for patients, their families and co-workers. She has an innate ability to understand and feel what someone else is going through. She is committed to the holistic care of all patients and inspires others to do the same.

How does she seek out and develop the skills of women who work with her?
Andrea is a role model who leads by example. She has a gentle spirit and is always accessible to her staff. She is diligent about growing and empowering her staff.

What would you say to thank you for her leadership, wisdom and compassion?
Andrea, thank you for your many years of leadership here at Bremen! You have always believed in a small community hospital and never lost sight of our mission.

Elkhart General Hospital Vice President of Medical Affairs Dr. Michelle Bache describes Cindie McPhie, Vice President of Operations:

What skills and abilities does Cindie bring in her current role at Beacon?
Cindie is a confident and decisive leader who excels in bringing out the best in her leaders. She excels in problem-solving and has a remarkable ability to see below the surface and quickly identify the real root cause of many issues. She is able to effectively communicate these insights to the team and clearly articulate her vision and plans.

What lessons or words of wisdom about leadership does Cindie exemplify or demonstrate?
Cindie’s leadership style is definitely one of leading by example. The John Maxwell quote comes to mind when I think of Cindie: “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” Cindie demonstrates great integrity by not just talking the talk, but walking the walk.  She is generous with her time and knowledge and is a great mentor to those who look up to her.

What are some qualities about Cindie that make her an inspiration to others?
Her dedication and “can-do” attitude are a source of inspiration to all those around her. She exemplifies strength and determination.

How does Cindie seek out and develop the skills of women who work with her?
By instilling confidence and providing mentorship and coaching to women on her team. She is looking for opportunities to provide assignments that allow women to develop new skills and stretch their capabilities. She follows through with feedback and support as they take on these new challenges.

How does Cindie face challenging times, for example, during the pandemic? How did she lead or bring teams or individuals together?
Cindie thrives under pressure and this was consistently demonstrated through the pandemic.  Her willingness to roll up her sleeves and get the job done was critical to our success.

What would you say to thank her for her leadership, wisdom and compassion?
I would thank her for her dedication and the great example she sets for me and other women across Beacon. I am continuously learning from her as I watch her approach to difficult situations. I am grateful to have such a strong woman role model.

Elkhart General Hospital Vice President of Operations Cindie McPhie shares her thoughts about Dr. Bache, Vice President of Medical Affairs:

What skills and abilities does Dr. Bache bring in her current role at Beacon?
As Vice President of Medical Affairs, Dr. Michelle Bache not only brings her clinical knowledge as a highly skilled physician, but as an administrative leader as well. She leads in a manner that is collaborative which enables her to effectively engage others in whatever the task at hand might be and move quickly to the best outcome. From a clinical perspective, her focus is always toward quality and she has led Elkhart General to have superior results related to our clinical excellence metrics. Most importantly, she never overlooks that we are here for our patients.

What lessons or words of wisdom about leadership does she exemplify or demonstrate?
Michelle exemplifies all of the Beacon values in how she leads — Respect, Integrity, Trust and Compassion. She is highly respected by all, not only for her depth of medical knowledge, but her approach to all things of doing the right thing for the right reason, which reflects her integrity. In turn, she is highly trusted for her knowledge, consistency, honesty and quality focus. Deep rooted in how Michelle is wired is compassion — she cares deeply for all around her and this is evident in all of her actions, every single day.

What are some qualities about Dr. Bache that make her an inspiration to others?
Not only is Michelle an extremely skilled physician and talented leader, she is a very devoted mother and wife. She also is an accomplished marathon runner and has completed many marathons including Boston, London, Chicago, Tokyo, Berlin and New York as well as many others. When there is a goal in front of her, whether it be personal or an organizational goal, she will drive to it with passion and conviction every time.

How does Dr. Bache seek out and develop the skills of women who work with her?
Dr. Bache started a group that celebrates and empowers women physicians. Not only does this provide networking opportunities, but also support in areas of special interest to women physicians including: balancing it all, aligning their work and values, advocating for oneself and much more. She also is a promoter of wellness and self-care for all, not just women.

How does Dr. Bache face challenging times, for example, during the pandemic? How did she lead and bring teams or individuals together?
Dr. Bache came into the VPMA role in an interim capacity shortly after the start of the pandemic. Her exceptional clinical and leadership skills became quickly apparent to all. She helped lead us through an extraordinarily challenging time, with a nimbleness to change course quickly as was often required during the ever-changing landscape during the pandemic. Through all of this, she never lost sight that we were here for our patients, providers, associates and community.

What would you say to thank Dr. Bache for her leadership, wisdom and compassion?
Thank you, Dr. Bache, for being an extraordinary physician, leader and colleague. Thank you for your compassionate ways, your steadfastness and your ever-present grace. We are so fortunate to have as part of the Beacon Leadership team and I am so incredibly grateful to be able to work beside you each day.

Diane Maas, Beacon Chief Strategy and Digital Growth Officer, and Cindy Hayes, Vice President of Beacon Medical Group, have spent the majority of their careers in healthcare, helping to ensure that people in our communities have access to exceptional medical services.

During Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting these two leaders and giving them the opportunity to share the leadership traits they admire about each other as they keep an eye to the future in guiding the organization.

Healthcare is a complex service to provide and manage on behalf of a community. Beacon leaders — most working behind the scenes — steadfastly navigate this work while upholding our mission to deliver outstanding care, inspire health and connect with heart.

The increased responsibilities of the pandemic tested the mettle of healthcare leaders, leaving them little room for indecision and weighing options, a fact not lost on Maas.

“During the pandemic, Cindy and her team moved quickly to provide COVID-19 testing and immunizations for the community, ensuring that both providers and patients had timely and convenient access to care during a time when things were changing quickly,” Maas said.

“She was able to create partnerships across the organization to achieve our goals.”

Bringing people together — no matter the situation — is one of Hayes’ superpowers.

“She digs in to solve problems, involves her team and is not afraid of a challenge,” Maas added. “Cindy is incredibly hard-working and passionate about what she does.”

Likewise, Hayes commends Maas on her strength as a leader, setting clear targets for herself and others.

“She welcomes challenges and sets goals to achieve the desired outcomes for the greater good of the health system,” Hayes said. She also calls out Maas’ skill as a decision-maker, someone who utilizes facts and data for guidance. This expertise is especially effective in Maas’ leadership in digital transformation at the organization.

“I would like to personally thank Diane for continuing to pursue new and innovative digital options for Beacon Health System,” Hayes added.

Knowledgeable, driven and accountable aptly describe both Hayes and Maas. Taken in combination with their leadership and influence, Beacon is well-poised for the future of healthcare.