admin There are few women who helm decisive executive positions in the healthcare software industry. Amy Cassata’ is one such talented and revered individual. Her entrepreneurial journey began at the bedside as a nurse practicing in a LTAC hospital in Chicago. This invaluable nursing experience provided her with a formative and deep sense of empathy for wound care patients, and encouraged her to further her education and career in pursuit of supporting vulnerable patients with wounds.
Unparalleled Accomplishments
Her illustrious career has several milestones. Amy was appointed Director of Nursing by age 30, a Director of Clinical Operations for multi-state health care organization by 34 and then, after using the company’s solution as a clinician, joined Swift Medical as the VP, Clinical Operations – to lead the scale and adoption of digital wound care across thousands of healthcare organizations. Swift Medical was founded in 2015 with the vision to tackle one of the greatest, and often overlooked, challenges in health care: wounds. In 2020, Amy was recognized as one of the Top 25 Women Leaders in Healthcare Software by the Health Care Technology Report.
Foundational Qualities of Women Leaders
Confidence is the greatest virtue one can hone. Cultivating an astute sense of self-assurance in your role and position can positively impact the leadership style of a woman. Moreover, a woman has to be resilient when helming an enterprise from the forefront. As Amy propounds, “If you get knocked down, get back up again, and learn from your mistakes to continue moving forward.” And finally, curating a razor-sharp focus is necessary for all female leaders. They must be able to ascertain the most seminal areas of interest and effectively prioritize the same.
I don’t want to be that person who just changes who I am to fit in or fit the mold of who someone else wants me to be. Sometimes staying true to who you are doesn’t make everyone happy, and that is ok – Amy Cassata
Creatively Tackling Obstacles
Amy encountered several roadblocks along her illustrious career. However, her creative and innovative drive propelled her forward. One such obstacle emerged when she started working for Swift. This opportunity to work at Swift represented a domain that was outside her comfort zone within the healthcare system. With the transition to industry, it was challenging to learn the lingo and become familiar with how the technology industry worked. She now had to view healthcare providers as not just her colleagues, but also as customers. Her persevering and resilient character has helped her secure success within this arena.
Balancing Home and Work
Achieving a harmonious and healthy work-life balance can be a daunting task, especially for women leaders. Amy acknowledges that achieving the optimum work-life balance can at times be tricky with three school-aged children; however, the unwavering support of her family helps her successfully strike a balance. Amy propounds that her schedule helps her prioritize actions and effectively manage time. She adds, “I ensure that I have a separate space in my home for work, and that it is just dedicated to that purpose. Just as you would walk out of your office at the end of the day, I can do that with my home office. We always come together as family every night for dinner, and talk about our day with no technology distractions. This helps us stay connected as a family.”
Sometimes, the biggest impacts in your life are from lessons you have learned from those you surround yourself with – Amy Cassata
Stimulating Support
The strongest pillar of support and inspiration in Amy’s life has been her family. The foundational values of smart work, determination, and education as well as the drive to be compassionate towards others have been instilled in her. Within the context of her familial life Amy learnt that she could achieve all her dreams and ambitions through hard work and determination. This has been reflected in her staunch and relentless work ethic.
Sustaining one’s Distinctiveness
Maintaining the uniqueness of one’s identity in the professional life can become challenging after years in the occupation. Amy vocalizes her greatest fear by stating, “As we grow in our life and advance in our career, it is easy to just fall in line and fit in with who we need to be at that moment in time. I always stay true to myself, my ideals, my faith – in every aspect of my work and home life.” She also asserts that staying true to oneself may not appease all, but it is absolutely essential for self-growth and contentment.
Adapting to the Covid Induced Changes
The Covid-19 pandemic has altered the healthcare and business landscape manifold. Amy recognizes certain changes introduced in the operational modules of the firm. Including the ideation of new ways to collaborate and work efficiently without all being in the same office. This has involved adopting new digital collaboration tools, hosting daily, weekly and monthly team and company update meetings and creating remote team building activities. Moreover, the team at Swift also had to adapt to the customer’s new needs – with reduced in-person contact in wound care.
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