Insights from the Inaugural WHY Executive Fellowship Cohort
Healthcare is currently navigating acute workforce pressures, demanding leadership that looks beyond immediate operational demands to address systemic burnout and disengagement.
That’s in part why SCHA launched the WHY Executive Fellowship, a premier year-long professional development program funded by The Duke Endowment as part of our SC WHY initiative. Designed for executive hospital leaders, the fellowship centers on transforming workplace systems and prioritizing staff well-being through an immersive curriculum of peer-led case studies, group sessions, and individualized coaching.
At its core, the fellowship is anchored by the Surgeon General's Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being. This structural approach is already shifting how the inaugural cohort thinks about the "why" behind their work and the environments they create for their teams.
For Jennifer Risser, the Senior Chief Nursing Officer at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Greenville, the program has provided a vital space to examine her own leadership mechanics. She describes the experience as "truly transformative," noting that the safe, supportive environment has allowed her to "dig deep internally and gain a greater understanding of my strengths, weaknesses, and workplace triggers.”
"I am grateful for the investment SCHA has made in my development, and I look forward to pouring these lessons back into my team by fostering growth, resilience, and leadership in others," Risser notes, framing self-awareness as a necessary prerequisite for effective leadership.
The fellowship also challenges leaders to step back from the day-to-day triage of hospital management to evaluate their long-term strategic impact. Cathy Sumner, Chief Nursing Officer at Aiken Regional Medical Centers, points to this broader lens as her most valuable takeaway.
"In the midst of day-to-day operational demands, it’s easy to stay focused on immediate priorities, but this experience has encouraged me to think more deeply about long-term impact, influence, and the 'why' behind the work we do," Sumner observes.
She emphasizes that engaging with healthcare leaders across different systems highlights the universal nature of their challenges. This shared perspective has not only expanded her problem-solving approach but fundamentally refined her view of leadership.
"The fellowship has reaffirmed for me that leadership is less about position and more about intentional action," Sumner asserts. "It is more about how we show up, how we support our teams, and how we create environments where people and innovation can thrive.”