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Carla Parker-Hollis, Chief Operating Officer with Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, joins our podcast today for an insightful chat on healthcare leadership and achieving top-tier clinical outcomes.

Located in Hudson County, N.J., Jersey City Medical Center is part of RWJBarnabas Health.

Carla also discussed the hospital’s role in community service outside the standard scope of patient care. These included efforts to address food insecurity, emotional trauma, and more.   

With Carla’s unique professional background, she explained the pros and cons of what it is like to climb the career ladder at a healthcare institution without a clinical background. 

Based on her experience, Carla has important insight that could benefit many young professionals looking to achieve a leadership position. Reflecting on her current role as a mentor, Carla is now passing forward the wisdom she’s gained in her career by working directly with aspiring healthcare leaders.  

“At this stage of my career, one of the things that’s really important to me is serving as a mentor,” Carla said. 

Midway through today’s discussion, Carla stressed the need for mentors to be highly focused and active to truly make a difference in today’s changing healthcare environment. 

“I think mentorship isn’t passive. You have to really focus on being a mentor, you have to focus on making yourself available, and being an active listener. It’s about encouragement, not judgement,” Carla said.

The healthcare industry is evolving as evident in U.S. medical schools where more women are now enrolled than men, according to Carla.

“Clearly our industry is evolving and changing, and I want to be a part of that,” she said. 

Achieving a culture of safety and accountability is a high priority for Carla and her hospital. 

This was abundantly clear as we discussed Jersey City Medical Center as a High Reliability Organization (HRO), and the role it has played in supporting the community through service-based initiatives. As we learn on today’s chat with Carla, reaching out to underserved communities with less access to care, is critical to the mission of Jersey City Medical Center. 

“You want to provide the safest environment possible to deliver care, and that is a fundamental component of being a High Reliability Organization,” she told us.

These endeavors to support the community are something Carla was very enthused to discuss as listeners will hear on today’s broadcast. Working hard to make a social impact can really make a difference in the community while working to eliminate reasons a patient may visit the hospital in the first place. 

“At the end of the day, what we all aspire to do is provide excellent healthcare services in the communities that need them the most,” Carla said. 

Delivering healthcare is a team sport and that was never more evident than in the opening months of COVID-19 when Jersey City Medical Center found itself near the epicenter of the pandemic. 

“As I reflect on my 20-plus years in healthcare, it was the most challenging time and experience I have ever been through,” she said. “But I was never more proud to be a part of this organization and team.”

Learn More

If you want to learn more about Carla and Jersey City Medical Center, please visit: https://www.rwjbh.org/jersey-city-medical-center/  

Listen to the full interview now:

For more Healthcare Experience Matters episodes please find our new shows released every Thursday morning on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts today.

Enjoyed today’s podcast? Listen to some other great episodes here: 

•    Shaping Better Healthcare Experiences through Leadership 

•    Supporting Team Members in Unprecedented Times 

•    Reflections of Transformation from a Physician Leader to Patient and Back 

•    Delivering the Best Healthcare Experience Possible in the Face of COVID-19 

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Leadership