Since the kick-off of Momentum in Medicine at UAB last year, we have been spotlighting the inaugural class of women enrolled in the program. Competitive and growth-driven, the nine-month program hosts networking and professional development opportunities for women leaders at UAB Medicine.
In April, Heersink communications sat down with Lauren Graham, M.D., Ph.D., Erin Yarbrough, and Kierstin Kennedy, M.D., to learn more about their stories and what Momentum means to them.
Lauren Graham, M.D., Ph.D.Meet Dr. Graham
Lauren Graham, M.D., Ph.D., serves as associate professor and vice chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Dermatology.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a part of Momentum in Medicine at UAB?
It means so much to be a part of the inaugural class of Momentum in Medicine at UAB. The group has so many amazing women and it is exciting to be a part of it. Leadership training has taught me so much about working with others and myself. I hope to take all the lessons learned to be a better leader for my group and for UAB in general
Q: How do you stay motivated to continue personal and professional growth?
My motivation comes from the desire to a) help my patients and give them the best experience at UAB; b) make the lives of the people that work at UAB better so they can do their jobs to the best of their ability.
Q: Momentum trains extraordinary women leaders. Who has been an extraordinary woman leader in your life?
My mother has always been a strong leader. She went back to graduate school when I was in grade school to get her MBA. This set a great example of always working hard and following your path no matter where you are in life.
Q: How do you hope to be empowered by Momentum?
Momentum has helped me create relationships with several women around UAB. The sessions are so motivating to improve UAB to make it the best place for our patients and to work.
Q: What is your biggest takeaway so far?
I have a few big takeaways so far. One is that feedback is a blessing: we give it to improve others and we receive it to improve ourselves. Another is to learn about your strengths and weaknesses in order to do your job to the best of your ability.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give women who want to become leaders in their field?
Always be willing to learn and adapt but also stick to your guns in regards to your ethics and integrity.
Erin YarbroughMeet Erin
Erin Yarbrough is the associate vice president of Clinical Operations at UAB Medicine.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a part of Momentum in Medicine at UAB?
I’ve wanted to participate in Momentum for a number of years now. I’ve heard wonderful things about the program and have really enjoyed the experience. Momentum’s traditional structure brings classes together from diverse companies and industries, which has benefits. However, being able to go through Momentum with other leaders within UAB has been especially impactful. We have a shared understanding of UAB’s mission, culture, strategy, and challenges; I’ve already found myself leveraging new relationships to move ideas forward. It has been personally and professionally advantageous.
Q: How do you stay motivated to continue personal and professional growth?
I will be very candid in answering this one. I’m a mother of 3 and my drive for personal and professional growth ebbs and flows. There are times when all I have mental/emotional bandwidth for is investing time in my family and enjoying every moment with them. Then there are others when I feel drawn to re-invest in myself. Both are ok and I think it is important that we normalize supporting leaders, both male and female, in whichever mindset they may find themselves. The important distinction is that we have resources available to meet leaders when they’re ready to level up. Momentum in Medicine is proof that UAB has that philosophy, and it is one of the reasons I remain thankful to be here.
Q: Momentum trains extraordinary women leaders. Who has been an extraordinary woman leader in your life?
Two women who come to mind for me are Felicia Boyd, nursing manager at UAB Highlands Family and Community Medicine, and Thalia Baker, associate vice president of primary care and development at UAB Health System. I worked for Felicia before she and I both came to UAB. She was the first manager who really invested time in coaching me. She made every day feel like she was in it right alongside me. Thalia hired me when I came to UAB and truly leads by example – she is hyper-focused on constant improvement. I used to look forward to our weekly meetings because I always left those meetings feeling trusted, valued, and supported. I strive to develop relationships with my team members that will hopefully leave them feeling the same way. Both Felicia and Thalia have made lasting marks on me as a professional, and I am incredibly grateful for them.
Q: What is your biggest takeaway so far?
We recently had a great session focused on changing the narratives we sometimes craft in our minds. We all have days in which we feel discouraged or wounded by events, be they big or small. The concept we discussed was giving yourself the freedom to articulate the rough first draft of the narrative. Most of the time, we draft narratives of what happened in a way that isn’t accurate nor fair to the situation or ourselves. The minute we recognize that it’s just a first draft, we begin to rationalize what happened and what forces are at work. It’s a way of helping to ensure your next move is a wise one.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give women who want to become leaders in their field?
This isn’t necessarily advice, but it’s how I strive to show up professionally: When I retire, I hope people will say two things about me...
- I felt better after interactions with Erin
- Good things happened around Erin
I never want people to feel torn down or defeated after meeting with me. I may personally feel frustrated or defeated, but I outwardly always focus on the opportunities and the positive steps forward. Additionally, I am in a position in which I can never claim credit for doing anything alone as a result of my leadership. At this point, everything we do is a team sport, so I try to be the right kind of support for whatever the teams need from me at any given time. I hope that this collection of activities leads me to be able to look back on my career and see a meaningful breadth of work I got to be a part of.
Kierstin Kennedy, M.D.Meet Dr. Kennedy
Kierstin Kennedy, M.D., serves as a clinical associate professor and hospitalist, as well as the interim chief medical officer at UAB Medicine.
Q: What does it mean to you to be a part of the UAB pilot of Momentum’s Executive Leadership Program?
I am incredibly honored to be included in the first UAB Momentum Executive Leadership Program. I think it speaks to UAB’s willingness to continue to invest in my ongoing leadership development.
Q: How do you stay motivated to continue personal and professional growth?
In general, I find a great deal of joy and satisfaction in ongoing growth, so it's really easy for me to remain motivated, however, the struggle is actually connecting desire to action given all that I have to juggle! I have found that taking advantage of training programs like Momentum is an effective way to force myself to devote time to my professional development. I also listen to audiobooks on my commute so I’m constantly learning and absorbing new information even if it's only in 20-30 min. doses.
Q: Momentum trains extraordinary women leaders. Who has been an extraordinary woman leader in your life?
My mom has been an extraordinary example of servant leadership and I have learned so much from seeing her in action both professionally and at home. She has mastered empathy and listening to understand other perspectives so that she can use that in decision making and that is a big part of my leadership now.
Q: What excites you most about the program?
I’m most excited that we are making this high-quality resource readily available to existing and future women in leadership at UAB. Making this investment is a way to help increase the number of women in leadership which can lend itself to advancing gender equity in pay and practices, which I believe our current leaders would support.