BLACKSBURG, Va. – Lots of changes are coming to LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, and for the first time ever, three women are leading the hospital.
Work on a $16 million operating room expansion is underway and is expected to be completed in 2023.
The project will include two operating rooms, a 15-bed post-anesthesia care unit, a renovated lobby, and additional support and storage space.
The executive suite has some new faces too: Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Carson, Chief Operating Officer Devin Tobin and Chief Executive Officer Lauren Dudley.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the team,” said Dudley.
“It is so exciting,” said Tobin. “It’s also really fun to see our CEO reflect a lot of our workforce. So being in healthcare, a large percentage of our workforce are women. So now it’s really great to see our CEO reflect the team that she’s leading.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up about 77% of healthcare workers.
However, a recent study published in the National Library of Medicine found that women only account for 27% percent of hospital CEOs.
Not only do three women now sit in the executive suite but the operating room and emergency room directors are also both women.
In a male-dominated field, Carson said if you can dream it, you can do it.
“[It’s] always been my dream to not only help patients but to help nurses have a voice and to be recognized for the great care that they provide,” said Carson. “Now being in the C-suite, I am able to provide that.”
Dudley said she was tapped for the role, not because she’s a woman, but because she’s a successful leader.
“The leadership that we are developing here at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, we all see the vision and our role in ensuring that we’re serving our community with comprehensive care every day,” said Dudley.