Tammra Garrigues

I attribute my success to a combination of early inspiration, hard work, strong mentorship, and a commitment to continuous learning and growth. My passion for healthcare started at a young age through the influence of my aunt, who worked as a paramedic and inspired me to pursue a career focused on helping others and serving my community.

Before entering healthcare leadership, I also worked for my father in his small auto repair business as a service writer. At the time, many individuals from older generations were not accustomed to seeing women in that type of role and were sometimes hesitant or unsure about my abilities. That experience taught me resilience, accountability, and the importance of proving my value through hard work, knowledge, and consistency. My father encouraged me to stand my ground, work hard, and have confidence in myself, lessons that helped shape the strong work ethic and determination I still carry with me today.

Throughout my healthcare career, I have been fortunate to have mentors who helped guide and challenge me. The first physician I worked for played a major role in building my medical knowledge and taught me not to accept “no” when it came to advocating for patients and providing quality care. Instead, I learned to keep searching for solutions, find the right resources, and push forward until we found a way to help the patient.

I was also incredibly fortunate to have an executive leader and mentor who taught me the importance of professionalism, preparation, and leadership. She emphasized the value of following the proper channels, bringing forward data and facts to support ideas, and balancing innovation with strategy. Most importantly, she showed me the power of trust, respect, and supporting others to grow and succeed.

In addition to mentorship, I believe collaboration has been one of the greatest contributors to my success. I value teamwork deeply and recognize that meaningful results are achieved when strong teams come together with a shared purpose. I continue to learn from those around me every day, and I believe staying open to growth, feedback, and new perspectives is essential to both personal and professional success.

I don’t think there has been one single piece of advice that shaped me, but rather a collection of lessons, experiences, and knowledge I’ve absorbed from many different sources over the years. I’m someone who is constantly looking for opportunities to learn and grow, whether through books, podcasts, mentors, or experiences from other leaders.

Two books in particular have had a strong impact on me as a leader. One is Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, which focuses on customer service, team culture, and thinking outside the box. That mindset has been incredibly valuable in rural healthcare, where we often have to be creative and collaborative because we don’t always have immediate access to specialists or large healthcare resources. The book reinforced the importance of creating exceptional experiences not only for patients, but also for the teams we lead.

Another influential book for me has been Discipline Without Punishment by Dick Grote. It helped shape my approach to leadership by teaching the importance of accountability while still supporting and developing your team. It showed me how to balance being a strong leader while also guiding people with respect, encouragement, and the belief that they are capable of growth and improvement.

I also regularly listen to the Maxwell Leadership Podcast, which breaks down leadership principles from John C. Maxwell and features conversations with other leaders sharing their experiences and perspectives. I enjoy learning how different people approach leadership challenges and applying those lessons within my own work and leadership style.

Overall, I believe one of the biggest contributors to my growth has been my willingness to actively seek out knowledge instead of waiting for it to come to me. I’m always looking for new tools, resources, mentors, and educational opportunities that will help me continue evolving both personally and professionally.

I would encourage others to continue educating themselves and actively seek out the tools and opportunities they need to grow — don’t wait for someone else to hand them to you. Take initiative, ask questions, and look for ways to continue developing both personally and professionally. I also believe it’s important to find mentors who will challenge you, guide you, and help keep you from becoming stagnant in your career.

Whenever I begin to feel too comfortable or feel that my growth is slowing down, I intentionally look for new resources, educational opportunities, and experiences that will push me to the next level. Growth comes from being willing to step outside of your comfort zone and continue evolving.

One of the things I love most about the medical field is the flexibility and opportunity it provides. There are so many different career paths, and each role teaches you valuable skills that carry into the next chapter of your journey. Every position I’ve held has helped prepare me for the next opportunity and contributed to the leader I am today.

My advice is to never stop learning, never stop growing, and never become too comfortable where you are. Continue pushing yourself, stay open to new experiences, and trust that every step along the way is helping shape your future success.

One of the biggest challenges in healthcare right now is navigating the constantly changing insurance landscape while still providing patients with high-quality, accessible care. So much time and energy can go into insurance requirements, approvals, and administrative barriers, and as healthcare leaders, we are continually working to find ways to support patients through that process without delaying the care they need or creating unnecessary financial burdens for them. The goal is always to deliver compassionate, patient-centered care while minimizing the obstacles patients often face within the healthcare system.

On the opportunities side There is collaboration among healthcare leaders and organizations, with more people openly sharing ideas, workflows, and strategies to improve operations, patient care, and team development. There are also more resources available than ever before for leadership growth, professional development, and process improvement.

One of the things I value most about healthcare is the flexibility and opportunity it provides. There are many different career paths within the industry, and each role builds skills that prepare you for the next stage of growth. Personally, I enjoy being in a leadership role where I can stay closely connected to my team while also advocating for them and helping create positive change within the organization and the communities we serve.

The values that are most important to me, both professionally and personally, are compassion, integrity, communication, and teamwork. Being patient-centered is especially important to me — truly putting yourself in the patient’s shoes and understanding their perspective, fears, and challenges throughout their healthcare journey. I believe patients deserve not only quality care, but also empathy, respect, and support.

Honesty and integrity are values I hold very strongly, and I believe they are the foundation of trust within both leadership and patient care. Open communication and teamwork are equally essential. I strongly believe that no one role is more important than another; every person on the team contributes to the overall success of patient care and organizational growth. When teams communicate well, support one another, and work toward a shared goal, the impact on both patients and staff is incredibly powerful.

I also value accountability, growth, and the willingness to step in and help wherever needed — even when something falls outside of a formal job description. Healthcare is truly a team effort, and the best outcomes happen when people come together to support one another and work at the top of their abilities.

One of the most rewarding parts of leadership for me is mentoring and guiding teams while helping create a culture built on collaboration, respect, and compassion. Watching my team embody those values, support one another, and provide exceptional care to patients is one of the most fulfilling aspects of what I do.