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by TERESA MCLAMB photo by MICHAEL CLINE SPENCER
LYNDA STANLEY came to Brunswick County in 1986 as manager of the laboratory at Dosher Memorial Hospital. Since that time, she has served not only the hospital but the county in many ways including more than twenty years as a trustee for Brunswick Community College. Selected to head the hospital’s foundation when it was formed in 2014, Stanley has spent the past several months as its president while simultaneously serving as president of the twenty-five-bed critical care facility. In January, she takes the reigns as Dosher’s president and CEO. IT APPEARS THE HOSPITAL HAS INVESTED HEAVILY IN TECHNOLOGY IN RECENT YEARS. IS THIS CORRECT AND WHAT IS THE FOCUS? “Whenever we invest in technology, it needs to answer the question, ‘How will this help our patients?’ Our most recent and substantial investment has been the addition of robotic arm-assisted surgery for knee replacements. Because we have become a destination of choice for orthopedic surgeries, it was a good fit for what our patients are already asking for.” YOU’VE BEEN WITH THE HOSPITAL FOR MOST OF YOUR CAREER. WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHANGES YOU’VE SEEN IN DOSHER? “I’ll never forget in the late 1980s watching one of our physicians smoke a cigarette inside the hospital. Keep in mind, that during that time, this was an acceptable practice. However, this image reminds me what a long way we have come in regard to prevention, both with staff and patient policy as well as how we approach health care. I’ve seen a much greater focus on wellness in primary care. How can we keep you healthy instead of simply treating patients who are sick.” WHAT IN LIFE HAS PREPARED YOU FOR THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE? “The most important preparation for this leadership role and for the moral and ethical code I’ve tried to adhere to throughout my lifetime can be credited to the tenet by which I was raised, which is, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ I was extremely fortunate that after I had completed my education, I found an organization that mirrored my own personal values, and I knew that once I began working at Dosher, that I had found my home.” BEYOND COVID, WHAT IS THE HOSPITAL’S GREATEST CHALLENGE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE? “In addition to the strain on health care due to the COVID response in hospitals, one of the areas of collateral damage is growing mistrust in health care professionals. A lot of this, as we know has been brought about by misinformation about the COVID vaccine. Health care workers have chosen their careers based on a sincere desire to help keep people in their communities well and to help those that are sick. For us to do our job and do it well, we need to work on bridging that gap.” WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR LEGACY WILL BE? “First and foremost, my mission is to make a positive impact on our community, and I am fortunate enough to have an opportunity to do this through my leadership role at the hospital. Being committed and dedicated to the success of Dosher Hospital enables better health and well-being for the entire community, and that is something I am very proud of.” W LYNDA STANLEY’s full profile appeared in a recent WILMA Roundup email. To sign up for daily WILMA emails, go to WILMAmag.com.
WILMAmag.com
NOVEMBER 2021
WILMA
47
