Congratulations are in order for Elizabeth Walsh, MSW, of Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center! She recently won Social Worker of the Year in a Hospital Setting from her alma mater, VCU School of Social Work. Elizabeth was recognized for her outstanding social work skills in a variety of health care settings.
Ever wonder what the role of a social worker entails? Elizabeth was kind enough to answer questions about her job with our ministry and share some additional thoughts.
Q: Can you describe your role at Bon Secours?
A: I am a case management supervisor, where I assist mangers with daily operations. I also help support care managers to coordinate safe, timely and effective disposition plans for patients.
Q: How has past experience prepared you to handle the day-to-day challenges you face in your role?
A: Being creative and thinking outside the box has been key in handling challenges. Care management and health care is forever changing, and then recently the COVID-19 pandemic was thrown into the mix! My experience over the years has taught me to be patient and have grace. At times, the pandemic made this more difficult, but we have all have persevered. In challenging times, establishing rapport and maintaining meaningful relationships at work has helped me.
Q: Describe some of your main responsibilities throughout a given day.
A: The focus during a normal day is the length of stay and readmissions for patients. I offer support to the care management team members in reducing these numbers while providing positive outcomes for patients.
Q: What do you enjoy the most about your job?
A: I get to work with so many wonderful people and every day is a new day! I appreciate the support from our leadership team at St. Francis. My manager is amazing. We have a great working relationship that is founded in leading by example with hope.
Q: How have you seen the faith-based aspect of our ministry lived out?
A: It is very simple, and I refer to our mission statement all the time. Our ministry is part of our foundation, and a strong foundation promotes growth, stability, compassion and trust. For me, it’s “back to basics” for good help to those in need.
Q: How do your teammates support each other? What would you like to say to them?
A: The care management department truly works as a team with each other. We have a “it is not my patient or your patient, it is our patient” point of view. The team is constantly bouncing ideas and questions off each other, in addition to offering support to help one another on a consistent basis. The care management department at St. Francis is top-notch. These ladies show up every day and give it their all. It is an honor to work among such a phenomenal group of women here. I am truly grateful to be part of the St. Francis Medical Center team. In the future, I am looking forward to continuing my dedication to the ministry, patients and the communities in which we serve.
Congratulations again, Elizabeth, on such well-deserved recognition! We’re proud and happy that you’re a member of our St. Francis family.
Learn about the health care services we offer at Bon Secours.
