Meet Alexandra Simonton, a member of ACHE’s Early Careerist Committee and a 2022 Career Accelerator Program scholar, as part of the ACHE Blog series featuring ACHE’s early careerist healthcare leaders. Learn more about Simonton’s role, how she practices self-care, and her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the Q&A below.
Briefly describe your current role and professional responsibilities.
I serve as director of community health at Indiana University Health and oversee two clinical priorities, infant and maternal health and hypertension. Through extensive collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, I am responsible for determining and operationalizing strategy for both clinical areas, with the goal of improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare disparities. My scope includes a perinatal program in which community health workers provide resources and support to pregnant women with social care needs, and I also have accountability for a hypertension program that leverages community health workers to address the social impediments of health that contribute to hypertension, such as a lack of transportation and healthy food.
What drew you to the healthcare field?
I was called to healthcare from an early age, but I originally envisioned myself as a physician. It’s funny how common this story is for MHAs. It was important for me to be in a role where I could make a difference by helping others, and at the time, I didn’t realize the substantial impact that administrators have on patient outcomes and experience through shaping healthcare delivery. In college, I distinctly remember not feeling a spark as I managed my way through science courses, and this prompted exploration into the business aspect of healthcare. The more I learned about healthcare administration, the more I was hooked. It was exciting to discover the breadth of experiences available to those pursuing administrative careers. I could analyze and solve problems or create a marketing plan all while collaborating with providers and ultimately making a difference for patients. With health administration, it was clearly possible to have a meaningful career rooted in service to others. Embracing the business side of healthcare and getting a masters in health administration was the best decision for me!
Describe your experience as a scholar in the 2022 Career Accelerator Program. What goals did you want to achieve?
Participating in the 2022 Career Accelerator Program was a great experience. Every session offered practical career strategies, DEI-informed tools for navigating career challenges and connections to diverse healthcare leaders. Our facilitators created an environment where we could be vulnerable and “real” while sharing personal experiences as we discussed topics like how to leverage relationships or gain positive visibility. I’ve always valued opportunities to learn in structured group settings and believe diverse perspectives enrich discussions, allowing for full exploration of topics and issues and fostering personal growth. I viewed CAP as a way to achieve my goal of becoming a more connected, knowledgeable and effective healthcare leader. CAP has expanded my professional network, helped inform my leadership style, and strengthened my confidence and approach to leading change within my organization.
There are many reasons for organizations to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in their executive leadership. Why is this important in healthcare?
Achieving diversity, equity and inclusion in healthcare is critically important. Health is foundational to living the highest quality of life, and I believe every person deserves the opportunity to be healthy. Much of our health is determined by socioeconomic factors, which disproportionally impact minority populations and simultaneously heighten the responsibility of providers to make the most of every patient interaction. Delivering culturally competent care is one way to optimize patient outcomes—research shows that a diverse healthcare workforce leads to better health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Diversity in executive leadership is equally important because leaders set the organizational vision, establish strategic and operational priorities, and oversee functions that may not be patient-facing, but are undoubtedly patient-impacting. When diverse voices are at the table, there’s greater innovation and likelihood for true healthcare transformation, which is necessary given the complexity of the healthcare landscape (fee-for-service models, barriers to accessing care that have been exacerbated with the digital divide and COVID-19, staffing shortages, etc.).
How do you practice professional and personal self-care?
For me, professional self-care includes setting boundaries and staying true to myself. I hold a daily, hourlong wellness block on my calendar and intentionally use the time for mindfulness, decompressing or getting reorganized after back-to-back meetings, reading work-related articles I’ve saved or grabbing a bite to eat. Being authentic at work means honoring who I am and not who others expect me to be—this is self-care at its core! Self-care from a personal context involves activities that bring me joy, recharge me and keep me present: exercising in a group class or going on a solo walk outside, reading a book or catching up with friends. Volunteering is another way I practice self-care. I like service projects that fall outside of the healthcare purview and provide a creative outlet.
What role has ACHE played in your professional development?
ACHE has been an incredible resource for my professional development. I joined as a graduate student and subsequently served on committees for my local chapter, Indiana Healthcare Executives Network. Congress was my first professional conference experience. I remember attending a speed-networking session, which enabled me to hone my networking skills, and I still use the tips I learned. I also consistently reference the ACHE competencies assessment and encourage mentees to do the same. Having a comprehensive list of skills necessary for healthcare leaders is helpful for reflecting on strengths and setting goals for areas of growth. In addition to the robust career resources, I’ve gained leadership experience through ACHE and IHEN as a proud CAP graduate and member of the chapter’s board.
Alexandra Simonton is director of community health, Indiana University Health, Indianapolis.