Live Your Values: Annie's Brief Bio
Posted on June 17, 2022 by Annemarie Heath, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.
I have had a career full of twists and turns. The common thread is a deep commitment to live my values, continuously learn, improve and serve others.
Are you the change you want to be in the world?
It started when I dropped out of college to hitch hike to Mexico to help El Salvadorean refugees. I realized that I had absolutely no skills to help in any way so returned home to and became a nurse. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Amazon jungle, I realized that if I was going to make a difference in the world, I had to up my game. I needed to know more and be able to do more. This was the beginning of a lifelong journey of exploration, education, and challenge. As a nurse midwife I have cared for thousands of women and families. I taught nurse midwifery at the University of Puerto Rico helping to establish midwifery care on the island to combat the high maternal mortality rate. I started and ran a 501©3 to improve maternal infant health care in the Dominican Republic and realized the impact of leadership and culture on the quality of health care. In the U.S. I was blindsided by a series of bad medical outcomes that might have been prevented with skilled leadership and attention to the health of the workplace culture. My midwifery and organizational skills were not enough. I went back to school to get my doctorate in nursing with a focus on leadership at Yale University School of Nursing. As co-medical director of the women’s health service line we developed the team and transformed the culture. I currently work as a coach and consultant to help health care systems transform their culture through support of leaders at all levels. My coaching has now spread to other industries as well. How do we create healthy workplace cultures so that people feel engaged, creative, and empowered? These are the environments where people can solve the problems of today’s world. What are your values? Are they aligned with your actions? What is your vision of who you want to be in the world? Are you the change you want to see in the world?