HIM LEADER SPOTLIGHT: Susan White, PhD, RHIA, CHDA

Name	Susan White
Employer	James Cancer Hospital at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Current job title	Administrator of Analytics
Job duties and/or educational background	PhD in Statistics, RHIA, CHDA Administrator over Cancer Program Analytics team, participate in enterprise-wide committees (Patient Services, Information Governance, Value-Based Purchasing measurement, Clinical Transformation), design of cancer-related bundled payment models
How did you progress to your current leadership position?	Consultant > Academic appointment > hospital administrator Moving between companies
What are ways that you motivate and inspire your team?  Please identify what type of team you are referring to (i.e. your direct reports at work, a committee, a different organization you are part of).	I want my team to be as satisfied with their work as I am.  I strive to supply them with the tools and training that they need to be successful.  I also (with my Director) work to mix their duties to include some ‘production’ (monthly/quarterly dashboards and scorecards) with some data mining and discovery work.
How do you select a mentor?  What traits do you look for?	I am not sure I ever actually ‘selected’ a mentor per se.  I draw mentorship from a variety of sources and look for people that are successful in their careers who have a life/work balance.
What professional organizations are you associated with?  Has your participation in these organizations enhanced your leadership capabilities?  If so, how?	AHIMA, American Statistical Association, HFMA I believe my service on the AHIMA Board of Directors and leadership positions on committees and practice councils has helped me further develop my leadership skills.
What advice would you give someone aspiring to be a leader?	Look for opportunities!  As I travel around the country talking to HIM professionals, I hear many say ‘no one asks me to participate’, ‘no one invites me to meetings for leaders’… sometimes you have to look outside of your comfort zone to become recognized for your expertise and leadership.  High performers are noticed and often tapped to work on critical projects in addition to their day-to-day work.  It is worth the time and effort to take advantage of those opportunities; step up in a meeting and volunteer!