Elizabeth Walsh Corcoran

I think most about the community I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of, including my friends, my deeply supportive family, and my professional network. Throughout my career, I’ve had leaders who became friends, mentors who guided me, and coaches who continue to inspire me. These are relationships I still actively nurture and lean on through both challenges and successes. The communities and connections I’ve built over the years have shaped who I am, and I truly would not be where I am today without them.

A dear friend once shared something with me that has stayed with me throughout my career: as women, it can be incredibly challenging to remain competitive and appropriately valued in the workplace. Sometimes, staying in the same role for too long can lead to being undervalued, even when you continue to grow and contribute in meaningful ways. Because of that, I’ve learned that there is nothing wrong with continuing to explore opportunities, seek new experiences, or advocate for what you want professionally.

What may look like “job hopping” to some people is often a reflection of growth, curiosity, and a willingness to keep learning and evolving. I think it’s important to continually ask yourself where you are adding value and where you are receiving value in return. That value is not always financial. It can come from mentorship, learning opportunities, innovation, meaningful challenges, or being surrounded by people who inspire and stretch you professionally.

If you find yourself in an environment where you are no longer learning, growing, or being challenged, it is okay to consider where else you might find those opportunities. What we value changes over time, and for me personally, I’m someone who is constantly driven by learning, innovating, and improving. If I’m in a role where I no longer have opportunities to grow or think creatively, I know I will eventually outgrow that environment.

Be open to the scenic path. When I graduated from undergrad, I was certain I was going to become a clinical audiologist and follow a very specific career trajectory. But once I entered a healthcare environment and joined Seattle Children's Hospital, I became fascinated by how a large healthcare institution operated and what made it successful behind the scenes. That experience inspired me to move into the administrative and operational side of healthcare.

If I had been unwilling to explore something outside of the path I originally envisioned for myself, I would have missed so many opportunities for growth and discovery. Instead, I stayed open to new experiences and evolving interests, and that openness ultimately shaped the career I have today. I like to say that I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be, but I took the scenic route to get there.

One of the biggest challenges in healthcare today is the broader policy and funding environment, including pressures on federal programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, as well as uncertainty around federal research funding. These shifts can have real downstream impacts on clinical care delivery and on the ability to sustain important research initiatives across areas like cancer and infectious disease. It can be difficult to see funding constraints slow progress in critical areas of science and public health, especially when the goal is to improve outcomes for all patients and ensure equitable access to care.

At the same time, healthcare remains an essential and resilient field. There are always opportunities to contribute meaningfully, whether on the administrative, operational, research, or patient-facing side. For people who care about making a difference, it is an incredibly impactful space to work in. It can also be a demanding industry, but one that is deeply rewarding because of the direct connection to improving lives.

I’ve also been fortunate to work in an environment where many of my colleagues are women, particularly in healthcare settings, which can be different from other industries. That representation creates a strong sense of community and shared leadership. If you are looking for a field where you can do meaningful work alongside talented, mission-driven people, healthcare is a powerful place to be. And I would encourage anyone interested to connect with women and leaders in areas like cancer research and clinical care, where the work is both challenging and incredibly inspiring.

Innovation has always been a driving force for me—I’m constantly looking for ways to improve and try new approaches. At the same time, I strongly believe that perfection can sometimes get in the way of progress. That mindset shows up in both my professional and personal life.

Rather than waiting for the “perfect” solution, I focus on making small, incremental improvements that move things forward. I’ve found that steady progress is often more impactful than trying to design an ideal plan from the start.

That perspective even carries into my personal life. My spouse is a marriage and family therapist, and we often talk about how we communicate and how we can continue strengthening our relationship. We both value growth in that space, but we also recognize that communication doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful or effective. Making something better today is often more valuable than holding out for perfection tomorrow.