You may think supervisors simply hire and fire, train new employees, and generally, well, just supervise. But they do so much more. They are the face of each functional unit; the fill-in for missing staff members; the leader responsible for progress and productivity; and, oh yeah, innovator, nurturer, and cheerleader. Quite simply, they are the engine that keeps us moving forward, together.
The group of otolaryngology supervisors includes: Jennifer Boozer, Carolyn Carbery, Carol DeCoursey, Michele Ferraro, Stacy Jansen, Sherri Patrick, Dorian Pierce, Carol Rose, Debbie Scherr and Kristin Vierling. Their teams are responsible for every aspect of patient care leading up to that face-to-face interaction with a doctor, as well as everything that follows.
Nursing supervisors Stacy Jansen (left) and Dorian Pierce.“Supervisors are the magic faeries that work feverishly behind the scenes to get it all done,” said Nurse Administrator Stacy Jansen. “We try not to inconvenience anyone else as the magic is happening – that’s a tall order.”
When asked what makes their role challenging, two factors seemed to be mentioned over and over:
- Identifying, interviewing, and ultimately training new employees is difficult to accomplish fast enough to meet the demands of our clinical growth.
- Our team members are spread across many sites.
Indeed, if you’re a supervisor, now is not a great time to take vacation. In March alone we’ll see a new Illinois group come into our practice; offices at the pediatric specialty clinic at Richardson Road and Christian Hospital Northeast campus will open; and our two clinical offices at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital will be moving into new space in Patient Office Building 4 (POB4).
In spite of the additional stress, supervisors unanimously sing the praises of their team and are happy to share what being a supervisor means to them:
- “I feel I am their representative and more importantly their cheerleader! I want all of my staff to be successful try hard to keep them engaged in their position and challenged as well.” —Carol Rose
- “Being the first contact we are the first impression of our department – keeping a “smile” in our voice and guiding patients to the right provider for their care. I am honored to nurture a team that truly cares for and will help each other.” —Michele Ferraro
- “Being a supervisor to me means encouraging and supporting employees. It means being responsible for my teams progress and productivity within the University.” —Dorian Pierce
- “I completely value my team for their dedication to each other and the faculty they support. I feel I have a responsibility to my team to keep them informed of changes and support them. I attempt to share my experiences with them and want to be approachable
Debbie Scherr, MBA, executive director of business affairs.
with any concerns and problems they have. Their dedication and reliability play an important role in our mission to “improve patients’ lives.” —Carolyn Carbery
These comments don’t surprise Debbie Scherr, executive director of business affairs for the department.
“Our supervisors are the best,” says Scherr. “They continually go above and beyond, in many cases working long hours dealing with many challenging situations. They are the glue that keeps their teams, and ultimately this department, together. I rely heavily on each of them and am thrilled to be working with such a great group.”