Women’s History Month Spotlight: Susan Carroll, Inova Loudoun Hospital
Thank you to Susan Carroll, President of Inova Loudoun Hospital, for answering a few of our questions. Learn more about the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEIA) Committee here.
Where were born and raised and, if it was someplace else, when and why did you come to Loudoun?
Not too far away, I was born at Inova Alexandria Hospital, which was the first hospital I was the CEO of. My husband and I both started to work in Loudoun over 20 years ago, I was at the hospital and he was at AOL, so we decided to move out to Loudoun. Our friends could not believe that we were moving so far from Arlington but we love it and have never looked back!
Tell us about your experience in the business world and how did you get into your current line of work?
People ask me all the time, how did you get into hospital management, it is actually all I have ever done. I started grad school right after college, got my Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) and 25 years later I still love it. I encourage people interested in business and healthcare to look into MHA programs, for me, it was the perfect balance of running a business, helping people and giving back to your community.
Have you had any special mentors or inspirations that influenced your career?
Yes, too many to name but my current boss Toni was a mentor to me very early in my career at Inova. She taught be as much about how to balance my life, remembering to put my family first and taking time for me, as she has about how to run the hospital. I hope that I instill those same lessons into my team members.
What is the best part of your job and why?
Being able to give back to a community that I love is great but I have to say it is my team members. Hospitals can be stressful but they can also be enjoyable. We share a common purpose and that makes for a great team, we support each other and it makes coming to work wonderful.
What is it like owning/running/leading a business in Loudoun?
Exciting – the growth in this county has been unbelievable in the past 20 years and my job is to focus on those growing populations and make sure we are serving their healthcare needs. That’s not just building a bigger hospital but recruiting the best doctors, nurses and team members to support that growth. We want to keep as many of our patients in Loudoun as we can, people want care close to home so growing specialty programs is the future for us.
What does Women’s History Month mean to you?
When I first got into healthcare 25 years ago, there were very few female hospital presidents, even though our workforce is 80% female, that has changed and I hope it continues to change. I do not like to stereotype, but there are some characteristics that today make for a progressive leader, people oriented, ability to work in teams, being inclusive and able to operate in different directions….I think having more women in leadership roles has brought these skillsets to the front of how leaders today lead, men and women. It is not just giving women a seat at the table but recognizing that they bring something different to the table and we should celebrate that, just like we need to celebrate all diversity, it is our biggest strength.
What are some of your favorite things to do when you are not working?
I have two teenage boys so I am writing this while getting ready to go to one of their baseball games (see, operating in different directions at once). I love to spend time with my family and travel but I also take time for me! I just got back from a trip with seven friends that I have been friends with for 36 years, we went hiking out west. When I come back from those types of trips, I feel my cup is full!