Her Story
About Kelly
Kelly Hodges has built a career spanning more than 20 years in healthcare administration, specializing in patient access and operations. She started as an ER registrar in the heart of Philadelphia, where she developed skills in managing pressure, relationships, and communication. After working in entry-level positions, she pursued an undergraduate degree in business administration and later earned a master's in health administration, applying her practical experience to her studies. Today, she focuses on helping patients navigate pathways to care in a seamless way while breaking down operational barriers, including a recent project to streamline primary care access through a one-call resolution system across her enterprise. As a member of the American Medical Group Association, she attributes her success to staying curious and humble, remaining open to feedback, and asking questions to understand how things truly work. She values integrity above all, striving to say what she will do and follow through, both professionally and personally. Her advice to others entering the field is to avoid being risk-averse, seek to understand before chasing titles, and do the work first.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kelly
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'd say stay curious and humble. I know what I know and what I don't know and I just stay open to feedback and I ask a lot of questions which gives me insight into how things are really working. I never go into assuming I know everything. Through that I also give people the benefit of the doubt and always ask a lot of questions to seek to understand and that has really helped me throughout my career.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I'd say don't be risk-averse, try new things, don't be afraid to do the work first. It's so easy to come right out of college and chase a title before really seeking to understand first. Take the risk, learn a lot, stay curious and don't be afraid to do the work before you get the title.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Healthcare is ever-changing so you need to be nimble and agile and ready to jump in and react and not lose sight of the why. The biggest challenge is resilience and making sure you're able to go with the ebbs and flows of regulatory changes. Today it's no secret that AI is on this precipice of implementation everywhere so that's a huge opportunity but also a risk. Making sure we're smart and stay focused on ethical standards of care and incorporating AI where it's meaningful while not losing sight of the human touch.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think the most important value is integrity. Say what you're gonna do and do what you say and stay true to yourself even when making the right decision may be the hardest decision. So really integrity and honesty are the most important parts of what we do on the day-to-day professionally but also personally.
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