EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT FROM BLUE JAY TO EXECUTIVE, SUSAN KILGORE SOARS

Every ship needs its captain, every orchestra- its conductor, and every major healthcare system facing the crisis of a lifetime needs its Incident Commander. Such was the case throughout the pandemic when Susan Kilgore assumed the lofty role under historic and extreme conditions. As Incident Commander, Susan led the COVID-19 Command Center for well over a year, responsible for managing the core team of infection prevention specialists, emergency response managers, internal and external communicators, facilities and operations managers, supply chain leads, etc. Running parallel with the COVID-19 pandemic, our city was hit with a debilitating winter storm that affected our hospitals’ water supplies and we were in the midst of standing up COVID vaccination clinics- all requiring Command Center resources simultaneously. As the liaison with STRAC (South Texas Regional Advisory Council) and our state’s governing bodies, Susan tirelessly advocated for our system’s needs, ensuring we were well-resourced and represented.

Without her steady and seasoned leadership, our ship would have undoubtedly drifted off course, leaving the communities of South Texas in peril. This display of determination and character is just one of many reasons Susan was recently promoted to Senior VP of Operations at Methodist Healthcare.

So where does such an impressive and storied career begin? It might surprise you to know – as a teenage volunteer. Susan’s service to Methodist Healthcare began 36 years ago when she worked as a Blue Jay volunteer during the summer while attending Medina Valley High School. While she was in college, she joined Methodist Hospital in a paid position in transport. “I always knew that I wanted to do something in healthcare,” she said.