NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 14, 2024) — Some take the road less traveled, and as Robert Frost suggests, that choice can make all the difference.
Ohio-native Beth Walker embodies this spirit.
Growing up in a family of educators, she forged her own path and as of September 23, she is the CEO of Ochsner’s main campus on Jefferson Highway, following 22 years within the Ochsner healthcare system in Louisiana. Walker always knew a career in hospital administration, where each day’s decisions impact the life and death of thousands, was not for the faint of heart.
“Everyone within my family is a schoolteacher and somehow I took this other path,” she said. “I knew early on that I was interested in business of some sort, but I really wanted to find something that I felt good about. Every day in healthcare, we help people. There are lives at stake with the decisions we make and the work that we do. So many people count on us and it’s such a privilege to say that we can do great things for the families in this community.”
Walker began her journey with Ochsner after getting her master’s degree at Ohio State. Administrative fellowships across the country for aspiring hospital administrators were few and far between, and the young post grad who had never been to Louisiana ended up at Ochsner where Warner Thomas, former president and CEO of Ochsner, gave her a chance.
“At Ochsner, I have not felt like my career’s been held back just because I am a woman. I have experienced so many opportunities for career growth,” said Walker, who is the first female CEO of OMC-New Orleans. “And I think it all started with Warner Thomas, who saw leadership qualities in me early on and encouraged me to stretch and grow and aspire for more opportunities. I try to do that now with my own interns, to pay it forward.”
Walker is also quick and proud to admit that Ochsner, one of the largest employers in the state of Louisiana, is rated nationally as one of the best places to work for women and families.
Although Walker is enthusiastic about Ochsner’s potential and rankings on a national stage, she is aware of the state’s healthcare challenges.
“We recognize that we have a lot of work to do to improve our health outcomes in Louisiana, and it’s going to take all of us working together to tackle the leading causes of poor health and to create a profound impact for Louisiana residents.”
Walker emphasized the importance of engaging with the local culture in Louisiana’s emerging medical marketplace of 2024. She believes that, despite the current trend of seeking expert care in cities like Atlanta and Houston, the Ochsner model can position Louisiana as a premier healthcare destination, much like the Mayo Clinic has done for Minnesota.
“We certainly have a lot of goals, but it’s important to every leader here [at Ochsner] to prevent brain drain in Louisiana. We must ask ourselves, ‘How do we make sure we can provide care in the best possible way to every patient who needs it?’
Walker said her priorities are just as much with the severely sick as they are with individuals who simply “don’t feel well” and are looking to the medical community for answers and support. She said she empathizes with patients who are dealing with simple illnesses and those who are facing catastrophic diagnoses.
Like so many who have made Louisiana their home, the new Ochsner CEO emphasized the power and importance of community. She cites the funding of Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine and partnerships with nonprofits like Son of a Saint as evidence of the symbiotic relationship Ochsner has with the surrounding area.
“It is our honor and our privilege to take care of this community,” she said, before bringing up one of her favorite books, “Drive” by Daniel Pink.
“Daniel Pink talks about what motivates and drives people,” she said. Pink believes the secret to motivation and satisfaction in life comes from the human need for autonomy and the ability to make independent decisions, to constantly be able to learn and create and to do better by ourselves and others.
“I feel I have so much of this right now…I love what I do so much,” said Walker. “I have the right level of autonomy; I feel I can be successful because of the people around me and there’s a purpose at the end of the day. It’s such a blessing to say that I have this strong connection to purpose.”