Her Story
About Aparna
I work in healthcare management, leading clinical services and clinical operations for a company in the post-acute space. As Vice President of Clinical Operations, I lead clinical teams, build processes, and standardize best practices for care at the end of life. My work involves building a continuum across primary care where PCPs see patients, palliative care where people get very sick and our providers see patients, and then moving them along the continuum to support end of life. I support clinical teams by building best practice processes for them. Beyond my operational role, I serve as president of the DMV chapter of American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), leading the National Capital Region DC and Northern Virginia chapter. In this capacity, I lead a chapter of about 1,000 members, most of them mid-level and senior healthcare executives in this area, and some postgraduate healthcare administration students. I'm deeply embedded in mentorship, leadership succession, and leadership development, focusing on serving the healthcare community in a way that embeds access to services, diverse perspectives, and continuous leader development. My work also includes personally mentoring emerging leaders and building processes and programs for organizations that don't have a broader platform. I provide consulting and advisory services as well. Healthcare remains my passion because I believe health is first and foremost important for the person, but also the community.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Aparna
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think what keeps pushing me are my small wins. I'd love to say there was one key moment in my life that's fueling the energy that I have and keeping the drive going, but really it is we continue to become better versions of ourselves and don't let the momentum die, because that drive, that energy, keeps building on itself. The universe has a plan for each one of us. We just need to get out of its way. As we continue to unravel what's ahead of us, we learn more things, we see opportunities come in front of us, and that's what keeps validating that I'm on the right path. Learning new things, learning new skills, opens our minds, and we just want to remember to celebrate the wins, what we have gathered along the way. I feel truly that as we get older, we gather so much more. We can either call it baggage, or we can call it wisdom. And that's really our perspective.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say take the time to know yourself. Take the time to know where your flow is, where you build on your strengths. Find your strengths and build on your strengths. We often talk about focusing on weaknesses, and that gets us into a place where we never catch up to ourselves. Find yourself, build your strengths, find your flow where you feel the most successful, honor your wins. And if you don't know yet, don't be afraid to act. Just do something.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In 5 years, I will continue to seek new learning experiences and make sure that I'm bringing value to the work that I do. Healthcare remains my passion. I believe health is first and foremost important for the person, but also the community. I would love to support those that have not had the opportunity to have the same opportunities that certain other individuals have had in life. I'm looking forward to creating more opportunities for others and identifying opportunities for myself in the healthcare space, but also overall for women and those that have a passion. We lift each other up. If you have a passion, you'll go very far. That's what I see in my future, deepening the experience for others and learning myself as well. Learning never stops. I feel traveling is a great way to open our perspectives, understand how people live differently, and build some resilience and tolerance within ourselves.
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