Amy Mansue doesn't have the typical background of a healthcare administrator. Her career started in social work and public policy in government and insurance, but eventually her passion for healthcare and helping people with disabilities led her to the helm of Mountainside, N.J.-based Children's Specialized Hospital, the nation's largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital.
Since 2001, Children's Specialized Hospital has countered the challenge of a waning nationwide pediatric physician base and grown from four sites serving about 5,000 kids to 12 sites statewide serving about 22,000 kids. Children's Specialized has built centers of excellence in brain injury, spinal cord dysfunction, general rehabilitation and autism services, and it was named the 2012 Hospital of the Year by NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes.
Ms. Mansue's efforts to expand access and grow Children's Specialized have not gone unnoticed — she recently was inducted in the New Jersey Business Hall of Fame for her work as a leader and advocate for quality healthcare.
Here, Ms. Mansue shares what traits she thinks are necessary for success in healthcare leadership, her approach to workplace culture and how she is approaching the nationwide pediatrician shortage.
Question: Why did you decide to get into healthcare? Why did you eventually join Children's Specialized Hospital in 2003?
Amy Mansue: I'm a social worker by trade and attended the University of Alabama for undergraduate and graduate 
school. I was interested in the public policy side of the equation, like how laws got written and how the people impacted by the laws had a chance to influence them. I started working with people with disabilities and the elderly, and then worked in Washington, D.C. for Congressman Jim Florio, with a host of different areas of responsibility, but people with disabilities were my first and foremost interest.
Before joining Children's Specialized I had been working for Gov. Jim McGreevey and heard the hospital was searching for a new CEO. They told me there was no way they would hire anyone who didn't have experience, but I took a shot and here I am 11 years later.
Q: Since becoming CEO of Children's Specialized, what has been the accomplishment you're most proud of?
AM: I think it's being able to expand our services statewide and increase services for children. We serve the whole state, from the bottom in Atlantic County to the top in Bergen County. We're the largest provider of medical services to children with autism in the state. New Jersey has the highest incidence of autism 1 to 5 children; it's really important to try to increase access to care for those kids. Even with the expansion, there are still wait lists, so our work is not done.
Q: Given the nationwide shortage of pediatric specialty physicians, what has led to the hospital's success in physician recruitment?
AM: Part of it is that we established a training fellowship program for developmental pediatrics, a new entry point for those newly out of school to come in and work with our children. We've been very aggressive in recruiting physicians and nurse practitioners into our system. It is very difficult in developmental pediatrics because there are so few of these specialists, so you have to grow your own and keep them. Also, the appeal of working with 15 or 16 colleagues is a big draw in developmental pediatrics, as many of them are forced to work with only one or two people.
Q: In the past, you've said that persistence and optimism are essential to a successful career in healthcare. Why those two traits?
AM: I think everyone is empowered to tell you what you can't do; it's the great "no." Especially for kids with special healthcare needs, it can be easy to look at the disability and see what's not possible. It takes a vision and passion to create opportunities for the kids and empower them and their families. Our vision is to create a world where every child can reach their maximum potential. For some, that maybe being able to blink their eyes and communicate that way. It's our obligation to find ways to break barriers. It's easy to say "no" and harder to have hope to find ways to make it happen.
One of our core values here is fun. At the end of the day, sick kids are still kids, and they want to lead a typical life. It's our job not to get caught up in their illness. Some days it's harder than others. But that's our job. It's really important to figure out ways to always create fun.
Q: Speaking of core values and staff, Specialized Children's has earned some "best places to work" awards in the past. What would you say contributed to those awards?
AM: The amazing group of staff and clinical specialists. Whether it's an environmental services employee or a physician, everyone is involved in and focused on improving the lives of kids.
We are, as are many children's hospitals, family- and patient-centered. We hire parents whose children we have treated to work part time in the hospital. I can be empathetic, but it's a different ball game if a parent whose child suffered a serious injury can approach a family and know what they're going through. They sit on quality committees, finance committees, operational committees and make rounds on units. They partner with us to improve all that we do. That's a real gift they've given us. We're very proud that they are helping us be a better hospital.
Q: What excites you most about your job as CEO?
AM: The kids. Sometimes you get caught up in the business elements of this and lose sight of how hard the kids' days are. Watching them get better — there's nothing more gratifying. Every day is a gift. Very few people can say they love their job and get up excited to do it — I love what I do and can't imagine how fortunate I am to play a small role in these kids' lives.
Q: What are your main priorities for the rest of 2014?
AM: Continuing to do better — to increase access, hire more physicians and work on safety and quality. Basically all of the things important for all of us [in healthcare] are on my agenda. We will continue to find ways to partner with families to help them advocate for their children. Making things better and helping the kids get better [are] always priorities.