Joseph Williams, BSN, RN, was recently named CEO of Rehabilitation Hospital of Bowie (Md.), an Encompass Health facility, but unlike many CEOs, Mr. Williams got his start as a licensed practical nurse.
At 21, Mr. Williams earned his LPN and soon began a registered nurse degree program, according to a May 25 news release from Encompass. He worked in medical-surgical nursing, then oncology and hospice before landing his first leadership position as a nurse supervisor in 2013 at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Virginia in Aldie.
After two years as a nurse supervisor, he was encouraged to apply for the director of quality and risk management position that had opened up. He landed the job and three years later, he was promoted to chief nursing officer. Four years later, he was approached about training to become a hospital CEO.
"Our regional president was the first person who encouraged me to become a CEO. He told me about Encompass Health's Developing Future CEOs program and pointed out how I had influenced our hospital's quality metrics and patient satisfaction scores," Mr. Williams said in the release. "I was humbled. I wondered if I was ready."
Mr. Williams threw himself into the training and later transferred to UVA Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlottesville, Va., and temporarily served as business development director. In that role, he learned the hospital marketing function, admissions process, budget preparations and more.
On June 6, he was appointed CEO of the Rehabilitation Hospital of Bowie. Mr. Williams credits his success to some of the advice he received in his career.
"How can you leverage your nursing background to make a difference in that space? Think about cross-training into a role where you can grow your knowledge of that subject. Your passion can be an inspiration for others. Don't be afraid to admit when you don't know something. Instead, show your commitment to finding the right answers when you realize you have a knowledge gap. We all make mistakes, so you need to be ready to learn from them. That will serve you well as a healthcare leader and in life!" Mr. Williams said in the release.