by Lisa Moody Breslin photography by Walter P. Calahan
Leslie Simmons, president of Carroll Hospital, has been a leader in the organization for nearly 15 years. She has more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry.
A resident of Westminster, Simmons earned her associate degree in nursing from Anne Arundel Community College and her Bachelor of Science in nursing and Master of Management Administration from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.
She and her husband, Greg, have been married for 37 years. They have two daughters, both of whom are nurses who are married and live in Carroll County. Simmons has one “amazing grandson,” Benjamin Robert, and a ragdoll cat named Lily.
Where and when are you happiest? When I am around a lot of people. I get energy from others, especially my family and colleagues.
Who are your heroes in real life? My two heroes are my husband and my mom. My husband is my hero for all the support he has given me toward my career aspirations. He has allowed me to be whatever I wanted to be. His support has been unwavering, and I admire him for that. He does everything for our family and no matter what I wanted to do, he always told me to go for it.
My mother has always encouraged me to follow my dreams as well. She said you can be whatever you want to be — as long you are the best at what you do. She is an amazing mother and is my best friend.
What is your most treasured possession? My craft room – it is my sanctuary.
Favorite way to relax? I relax when I am in my craft room working on a project. I enjoy a variety of art mediums, such as painting, colored pencils and Zentangle. I’ve also recently learned to do scratchboard art. With art, you have to fully concentrate on what you are doing and can’t think about anything else. It allows me to recharge and be ready for another day.
Favorite movie – or book – (right now)? I don’t typically make time for a long movie, but when I read it usually is a book on art or leadership. I do have favorite TV shows like the Big Bang Theory, Survivor and Downton Abbey. I can’t believe this will be the last season for Downton Abbey!
Three lessons learned from former Chief Executive Officer John Sernulka? I would say the three things that stand out the most that John instilled in me are taking risks, strategic thinking and the importance of having a strong leadership team. John took calculated risks in order to move the organization forward and it paid off. He also demonstrated how to look beyond day-to-day operations and to think more broadly about the needs of the community to redesign health care delivery. Great examples of his forward-thinking are the creation of The Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County and Access Carroll in collaboration with the Carroll County Health Department. John also believed in hiring talented people and giving them what they need to be successful.
Personal discovery from an unexpected source? My biggest personal discovery was that I could be a nurse, and I certainly didn’t set out to go down that path. When I was an EKG tech, the director of cardiology made the suggestion to me to consider nursing school. I was surprised, not only because he thought I could be a nurse, but that he took the time to encourage me.
What thrills you the most about the LifeBridge merger? I am mostly excited about being able to serve our community better. LifeBridge Health offers a broad spectrum of services, and all these joint ventures help to provide everything we need to deliver exceptional health care to our patients. Also, it thrills me that we don’t have to contain our strategic vision for Carroll Hospital. I think of everything that might be possible now that we are part of a larger health system. We will be able to do things we only dreamed of in the past.
Two adjectives that you hope employees use to describe the merger? I hope that our associates describe our partnership with LifeBridge Health as opportune — opportunity for themselves and opportunities for the community, and I hope they describe our partnership as innovative, in that we are not just a collection of hospitals, we are engaging our community, physicians and associates to help determine the health needs we have and, in turn, develop new programs and services in our local community.
And patients? More. More access to more high quality services locally.
Three common myths you find yourself debunking about the LifeBridge merger? It is important that our community members know that donations to the Carroll Hospital Foundation stay 100 percent local; that our board of directors has local control and system influence; and that Carroll Hospital does not only refer to LifeBridge Health facilities — patients always have a choice of where to receive their care.
Most rewarding moment linked to the hospital? Opening the new William E. Kahlert Regional Cancer Center and Tevis Center for Wellness in October 2014 was a highlight of my hospital career. I had the opportunity to lead the process and involve the community. The most rewarding moment was when we held a special open house for current and former patients to see the new centers. So many people came and they were so excited about what we had created. It was gratifying to know that we created a special place for people who need cancer care.
Most heart-wrenching moment(s) of your career? Last year the flu season hit everyone hard, not only at Carroll Hospital, but across the country. As a result, emergency department visits and hospital admissions were up. Our associates and community members felt the effects, as everyone across the region was vying for the same resources. It was frustrating that there wasn’t anything I could do to lessen the impact.
How did your work before becoming CEO prepare you for the role? My nursing background has a huge influence. I draw on my experiences almost every day to motivate other clinicians, and when working with physicians on redesigning health care. My clinical background gives me insight in how we can continue to improve access to health care.
List three adjectives that you hope colleagues would use describe your leadership style? Engaging, transparent and a great communicator. I try to get people excited about where we are going as an organization and how to get there.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? My greatest personal achievement is raising two happy healthy daughters, both of whom decided on their own to become nurses, and being happily married to my husband, Greg, for 37 years. In my career, my greatest achievement is working to remove obstacles that are in the way of staff doing a good job, and staying connected to what those obstacles are so I can recognize opportunities to eliminate frustrations.
What is your greatest fear? Outliving my children.
In 10 years, what do you hope will be the hospital’s greatest achievement? In 10 years, I want Carroll Hospital to be the top hospital in the region for all quality metrics and to have expanded programs for access to health care for all individuals in our community.
