Rachel Spurlock

My career hasn’t been a straight line; it’s been a composition. I’ve navigated and sold in complex markets with new technologies and high‑pressure environments, and I've also driven change and scaled impact throughout organizations. I’ve learned to be resourceful and lead with transparency, humor, integrity and empathy even when the path forward wasn’t clear. These experiences continue to teach me grit, adaptability, resiliency and the importance of staying grounded in purpose.

Leadership teaches me connection. To listen deeply, act with intention and help others through building meaningful relationships. I truly believe solving problems for others is about partnership.

Last but not least my faith and my family. My grandfather has Kentucky grit like no other, very sharp and still works at 96 years young. As an Air Force flight engineer and GE Quality Engineer his passion for driving secure, safe and quality results really set the bar high for me. My father was a brilliant businessman, broker and builder. My mother, an artist and her attributes were an inspiration to me growing up. She was positive, determined, creative and a light to any room she walked into - her father a Chief Naval Officer.

The best advice I've received is to lean in with a growth mindset, form good daily habits and stay curious longer. You don’t need to have all the answers, stay authentic and believe that you can achieve anything with patience and deliberate practice.

Growth comes from trying, failing, refining and trying again. Continually refine and sharpen your skills as you learn and grow.

Listen more. If it's sales - desire to want to know other perspectives so you can help them accomplish their goals.

"It's not the reality that shapes us, rather it's the lens through which our brain views the world that shapes our reality." - Shawn Anchor

To the young women excited about entering the healthcare technology industry, thank you. Thank you for having the desire to drive meaningful change and make a quality difference for the patients, providers and your communities.

As Simon Sinek says, find your "why". When you approach life with grit and heart, passion and purpose intersect, and impact follows naturally.

The most pressing challenge in healthcare today is the widening gap between patient demand and provider capacity. Our clinicians are heroes, but they are often working in a system that is "time poor" without the proper workflows in place.

In my work with provider quality documentation, it was between an accurate medical record or a costly mistake. In medical imaging, the old trade-off was between speed and quality. A CD that took days or a safe and fast file share that could save a life. AI shouldn't be about replacing the experts; the focus is to remove administrative task off of doctor's plates so they can focus on life-saving decisions.

I think the biggest opportunity right now is to choose to partner with tech companies that are really being thoughtful about what they're doing. Ask questions and be vigilant about AI, because there are a lot of AI companies out there that lack transparency and are not being governed. Additionally, the hurdle isn't just improving workflow or patient experience; it’s also making sure the 'digital foundation' (data, cloud, and security) is safe, reliable, seamless.

The best companies are looking to provide healthcare operations with proper reimbursement, meaningful patient data, improving workflow and interoperability to efficiently serve their communities.

Lastly, I believe the most influential thing a leader in tech can do is ensure that the 'intelligence' in AI is always matched by the 'integrity' of the people deploying it.

My values remain the same throughout my professional and work life - curiosity, leading with a growth mindset, and empathy.

I believe in creating environments where others can thrive. I try and leave every space, customer, team and project better than I found it.

These strengths help me bridge people, ideas and opportunities - whether I’m working with my community, clinicians, partners, students, cross‑functional teams or overachieving my quota.

• Empathy: desire to understand people deeply and meeting them where they are
• Curiosity: asking better questions to uncover better solutions
• Communication: creating clarity and connection
• Ideation & Strategy: shaping creative, future‑focused paths forward

I enjoy creating opportunity and producing quality results for companies, customers, colleagues and for the communities I serve, while building others up through seamless and strategic execution.