“Ten People to Watch in Healthcare Contracting” honors Erik Walerius of UW Medicine and Jennifer Reverendo of Cooperative Services of Florida.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to all those who made the effort to nominate this year’s “Ten People to Watch in Healthcare Contracting.” And thanks to the Ten, who share their insights and experience with The Journal of Healthcare Contracting (JHC) readers this month.
JHC: Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship?
Erik Walerius, Chief Supply Chain Officer, UW Medicine (Seattle, WA): Mentors have been instrumental in the success and development of me as a leader as well as our management team across our supply chain. All our directors have a mentor that we have connected them with across our health system. The biggest value we have seen in mentorships is creating a venue for a sounding board that allows employees to be able to bounce ideas off someone they trust and to obtain valuable guidance. Similarly, we have found that a mentor is someone who will advocate for you as you’ve established a strong relationship and they have background to your perspectives and good intentions. These mentorships have been major contributing factors to our team’s success by receiving endless guidance and direction.
Read more about Erik Walerius in the JHC August issue
JHC: How do you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
Jennifer Reverendo, Vice President, Cooperative Services of Florida (Ft. Myers, FL): I was fortunate to participate in an immersive multi-month development program that provoked deep reflection on leadership style, acknowledgement of vulnerability and innovative curiosity. While I experienced significant personal growth as a leader during that time, I also understood which leadership aspects would require deliberate development if I wanted to continue my journey. In the absence of formal programs, I enjoy articles and podcasts on leadership. More importantly, I seek out those who have demonstrated a commitment to their own development and ask for feedback in the moment on what I could do differently to contribute to a better result. You control the culture immediately around you and your reaction to an event directly affects the outcome.