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A P R I L / M A Y 2 0 1 7 M A C O N M A G A Z I N E | 77 Dr. Ninfa M. Saunde, FACHE President & CEO - Navicent Health 777 Hemlock Street | 478.633.1000 *** What are you most excited about in the coming year? There are so many exciting things taking place at Navicent Health! We live in a remarkable and opportune time, when innovation and technology allow us to provide healthcare services in ways we would hardly have dreamed of only a decade ago. Our Center for Disruption & Innovation is working with the brightest young minds – from high school students to doctoral candidates – to explore new modalities of delivering care through innovation and technology. Most recently, we hosted students from Mercer University and Hutchings College and Career Center to develop apps (#Code4Care) for our patients, staff and healthcare consumers. We have partnered with Wesleyan College to offer Lean Six Sigma training for employees. We are also continuing to expand service offerings to meet the individualized needs of our region. These offerings not only include healthcare services, but most recently, we have added MedLaw, Navicent Health, a new department providing assistance to patients whose care may be disrupted by a legal matter. We are also looking forward to the grand opening of the Lofts at Navicent later this year – a project that will positively impact the economic health of our community! We are also thrilled to be taking steps toward the construction of a brand new Children's Hospital facility. Where do you see Navicent Health in 5 years? 10 years? Our future plans may seem surprising to some, but those familiar with the changing healthcare industry will understand the logic of our strategy. Within the next decade, we foresee our hospital becoming a "mega intensive care unit " where the sickest of the sick will be cared for with the same intensity and multi-specialty focused care. We also anticipate the proliferation of various ambulatory and retail care service offerings, which will allow consumers to utilize a multi-faceted venue for immediate and continuing care. As a tertiary teaching hospital, The Medical Center, Navicent Health will become a sanctuary for the most acute patients in need of the most intensive care. We will continue to work with our regional partners – community and critical access hospitals and clinics – to allow less acute patients to receive care close to home. And we will continue to work with community partners to bring health services, offering expedited care access and promoting health and wellness within our communities. These will include programs to assist patients and patients turned consumers with the most basic rules of wellness – eating right, exercising regularly, stopping smoking, and the like. What is your advice for women going into the health field right now? There are so many opportunities for women in the healthcare field. Nationwide, there is a critical need for physicians, nurses and allied health professionals and opportunities abound for women who want to move in that direction. Additionally, as our population continues to age, the need for nurses, a field historically populated and led by women, will continue to increase and that will bring many new horizons for clinical leadership. Many advance practice nurses will have the opportunity to fill roles traditionally held by physicians. My advice to women – young just entering the field, or seasoned professionals seeking to advance their careers - is to never stop learning, never stop growing, and to be brave and persistent as they pursue the many available opportunities. Seize the moment and make a critical difference in whatever you do! Women In Business