Becker's Speaker Series: 4 questions with Oaklawn Hospital CEO Dr. Ginger Williams

In 2013, Ginger Williams, MD, became president and CEO of Marshall, Mich.-based Oaklawn Hospital.

Trained as an ER physician, Dr. Williams previously served as CMO of Oaklawn Hospital. She is also a board member of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and a community board member of Chemical Bank.Williams Ginger headshot

On Tuesday, April 18, 2017, Dr. Williams will speak at the Becker's Hospital Review 8th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place from April 17 through April 20 in Chicago.

To learn more about the conference and Dr. Williams' session, click here.

Question: What news story or event in healthcare have you been most interested in this past month?

Ginger Williams: The results of the presidential election. The event has the highest probability of producing significant change in the healthcare industry in the next year and beyond.

Q: The panel you're speaking on at the April conference is called "Thriving as a Small to Mid-Sized Hospital." What are your tips on prospering as a small to mid-sized hospital?

GW: I have four tips: culture, team, leadership and the ability to execute.

  • Culture. We focus on engendering a mindset in which each individual is accountable not only for their own goals, but also in changing how we, as an organization, do our work so we are more helpful to others accomplishing their work. This requires that we actually ask others about their goals and objectives, and then consider how we can modify our own work and make it easier for others.
  • Team. We all have flaws and weaknesses, but we have more strengths. It is imperative to talk openly about not only strengths, but specific weaknesses. That is the only way to build a team in which the strengths of one [member] offset the weaknesses of another [member]. Failure to achieve insight into this dynamic is disastrous.
  • Leadership. Investing in a well-defined, focused leadership development strategy will pay huge dividends. This doesn't necessarily mean drastic increases to the education budget, but it does require a comprehensive plan, and the comprehensive plan requires that you should know the end goal of the training.
  • Execution. It should go without saying, but the greatest of plans usually fails at the point of execution. Clear ownership not just for the process but for the outcomes is essential.

Q: What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?

GW: The biggest barrier might be spending too much time focusing on barriers to female leadership. This is a lesson I learned from my mom, even though she rarely said anything about it directly. If there are people with prejudices against female leaders, I am far more likely to change their mind by doing my best to be an excellent leader. Providing an example changes more minds than complaining will ever do.

I also like to understand the perspective of those who have or are perceived to have this prejudice. It is not a monolithic collection of people and some, if not many or most, may be basing their opinion on one or two personal examples. Truly understanding someone's bias against female leaders often brings you much of the way to reducing that bias. Perhaps I've just been blessed, but when I've worked as hard as others around me without expecting special accommodation for gender-specific reasons, I've been treated fairly.

Q: Which women inspire you and why?

GW: My mom, because of her practicality and "can do" attitude. She is always completely dependable as a mom and a friend but has also made time for personal growth no matter what else was going on in life.

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