Articles
9 February 2012

Patricia Richards

Helping Person to Person

by Heidi Kulicke

09 February 2012—

 For Patricia Richards, newly appointed CEO of SelectHealth, health care is all about helping people. From her early beginning as a staff nurse at the University of Michigan Medical Center to her various roles in management throughout the Midwest, Richards has never forgotten why she goes to work each day.

“I never forget that behind every ID number, there’s a person. I never forget that we’re working with people at their most vulnerable times,” says Richards, adding that she hopes to instill that same compassion in all SelectHealth employees.

“When someone calls in, I want everyone to remember that this is a person who needs our help,” she says. “That underlying person-to-person approach reminds me why I’m here and why the rest of the company is here. As I think about health care, it’s such a wonderful field. It’s service-oriented and there are so many different roles. It’s actually one of the few growing sectors of our economy.”

No stranger to the medical world, Richards’ husband is a retired nephrologist. “When our kids were young, they used to say they wanted to do anything but health care,” she says. “What’s ironic now is my two youngest are winding their way into health care as they both apply for physician assistant programs.”

Richards says that besides the noble mission of helping others, the field provides jobs, advanced education and service opportunities. Yet, she believes people need to understand what their motives are as they decide to go into health care, as it is very demanding.

“I always told my kids, do what you love and everything else will fall into place. I would give that advice to anyone,” she says. “I’d have to say my greatest sense of accomplishment is that my children are all healthy, independent and doing what they love.”

When it comes to a business philosophy, Richards says there are some basic tenants that are non-negotiable. Those include honesty, integrity and transparency. Beyond that, she says it comes down to understanding your customer. “I want our company to understand the needs of our customers better than anyone else so we can meet their needs better than anyone else.”

As a CEO, you need to have a broad knowledge of whatever industry you’re in, Richards says. When looking for career advancement, she says it’s important to keep learning and to volunteer for the projects that no one else wants. “It doesn’t hurt to find a mentor you can get advice and feedback from. You learn something new from everyone you interact with,” she adds.

A Wisconsin native, Richards is grateful for the opportunity to live in the West and experience Utah’s beauty firsthand. “The employees brought pictures to show me of their favorite places and now I want to see it all,” she says, adding that she’s looking forward to visiting the national parks and taking advantage of Utah’s winter activities. She’s experienced skiing and hopes to try snowshoeing this year.

She’s also a big basketball fan and is excited to see her first Jazz game, although she is a 20-year devoted Detroit Pistons fan. If they play the Jazz in Salt Lake, she’ll be there. “I won’t know what side to sit on,” she laughs. “Maybe I’ll sit in the middle.”    

 


Built by Crowell