Extraordinary Women Leading Change - Gabrielle Finley-Hazle
Gabrielle Finley-Hazle, a purpose-driven growth strategist, is the president of a large health care market in the Southwest. Gabrielle was recently featured in the Extraordinary Women Leading Change CEO Panel. During this panel, community leaders in South Florida discussed the importance of leadership, gender inclusion, and top strategies to successfully lead.
Gabrielle, let's talk about your amazing story. When did you decide that you want to be a leader in healthcare?
“First of all thank you so much for having me. Healthcare leadership — when you are in healthcare you have a passion for your business. My passion for healthcare developed young for me. Seeing ambulances go past my house because of where we lived in the city of Lauderdale Lakes, I remember asking my mom where they were going. And I remember her saying “honey, they are saving lives.”
“Early in my career, I became a firefighter and paramedic and also went to Cornell University — and it was physicians there that helped me realize that I had a unique skill-set to translates between healthcare and clinical language and the business side of healthcare. I ended up continuing doing my business degree and it served me well to be able to balance between the two worlds of business and clinical practice. I feel I was born to do what I do.
“The pandemic has of course tested all of us and has tested healthcare more than anything. Again, I feel like I was born for a moment like this.”
Thank you for sharing that, Gabrielle. I remember speaking with you on the phone one day when you were in the car and I heard you scream ‘oh my god’ after which there was suddenly silence. Your ability to react well in emergencies is a skill.
“There was a baby being walked by two adults who were hit by a car. I am lucky that I am trained to deal with such situations. I attended to them immediately and performed CPR. The baby survived, the grandmother walking the baby underwent trauma surgery but she is fine now as well! It turned out all right but at that moment it was catastrophic. Thank god I was trained to do that.”
The one thing I appreciate about your leadership is your heart, your passion for healthcare, and all the lives you have saved. You lead your hospital with heart.
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Gabrielle Finley-Hazle is a CEO and board member. She is currently the president of Dignity Health Arizona Central and West Valley Market, a ~$2 billion flagship market of CommonSpirit Health, the largest nonprofit health system in the United States. With over two decades of experience, Gabrielle specializes in creating a mission-driven, high-performance culture that allows for company growth and effective crisis management. Gabrielle has a patient and equity-focused approach and achieves strategic growth through innovation.
