Jody Bishop is the driving force compelling St. Mary’s associates and leaders to be extraordinary. Her dedication to the ministry and team along with her perseverance through the pandemic has been evident to all who have worked with her. She has been our constant in the turbulent COVID state. She continues to lead her teams into uncomfortable spaces, pushing and encouraging them to grow and achieve success while remaining centered on ‘what is best for the patient’. She has remained dedicated and committed to quality- refusing to sacrifice excellence despite the continued chaos of the healthcare environment. She remained steady in her pursuit of exceptional outcomes including metrics for sepsis, cauti, clabsi, c.diff, and falls. She continues to prioritize throughput and length of stay while encouraging all leaders and associates to think outside of the box for creative solutions to our daily challenges. She has embraced ideas and celebrated wins all while encouraging leaders and associates never to settle with ‘good enough’.

Once metrics were achieved, most leaders would step back and re-focus on something else, but Jody continued to question, would identify best practices, and ask how we can sustain this achievement and be even better. At the beginning of Covid, when we were afraid, her steady presence and guarantee stating we would be ok, as she walked alongside us, was the reassurance that allowed us to return to work the following day. At the start of the pandemic in 2020- the chaos and uncertainty were unrelenting, her voice and being was the guiding light in the darkness. We often looked to her to observe how she would react to the latest challenge or barrier, she continued to hold her head high and march forward. She walked alongside leaders and associates as she rounded frequently to check on their physical, mental, and emotional states of being as the pandemic continued to rage. She squelched rumors and uncertainties while remaining grounded on facts. She refused to let fear drive her or our practice. When the rest of the healthcare world withdrew- she engaged and pushed forward. She did not give up and refused to allow us to give up as she stood right by our side.

As a leader, Jody has continued to ask difficult or unpopular questions, again pushing teams beyond their comfort zones, and refusing to allow them to become complacent. She remained at the hospital well into the evening hours being ever-present for all shifts. She continually asked the providers, leaders, nurses, and associates what they needed to provide excellent care. She listened, and then delivered on nearly every request that was within her power to fulfill. Despite her long evening hours, she would return every morning with the answers we needed to our continuous questions. She committed to reading every leader update and CDC report guiding the latest best practice guidelines and prepared her leaders for battle.

Jody embodies the core cultural behaviors of Bon Secours St. Mary’s hospital. She remains committed to the ministry. She values ideas from others and respects diverse opinions. She continues to coach others to their personal level of greatness while unifying her team. She is the definition of agile. She has worked to freely embrace change, has been innovative with creating additional patient care areas and expanding the St. Mary’s hospital capacity for Covid patients, and working to retain nurses. She continues to deliver on metrics while remaining determined and courageous. She empowered not only her leaders but also her bedside associates. She has continued to hold not only herself but others accountable for their actions and decisions allowing us to provide the best possible care for our patients and their families.

Even now, two years in, Jody continues to encourage and lead with grace and determination. Her unrelenting commitment to ensuring our patients receive world-class care remains at the center of her mission. She continues to be the constant cheerleader, lifting us up when we are tired and ready to give up. She continues to encourage us to pursue excellence, all in an effort to create the best environment for not only our patients and their families but also our associates. She embodies the values and culture of the Bon Secours Mercy Health ministry and St. Mary’s family.