Shanna Johnson, president of Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and interim president of Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, recently accepted a prestigious award from Rolling Out, highlighting her exceptional leadership in healthcare. In her acceptance speech, Johnson revealed the superpowers that drive her success: intuition, relatability, compassion, and the ability to simplify complex issues. These qualities have propelled her through a remarkable career spanning over 15 years in various healthcare leadership roles. Johnson’s journey from a University of Michigan graduate to a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives exemplifies her commitment to excellence and innovation in patient care. Her leadership style, focused on engagement and collaboration, has not only improved hospital operations but also fostered a culture of empowerment among her staff, whom she affectionately refers to as “superheroes.”
This is her speech:
Good evening. It is my honor to receive this award tonight. Thank you to Rolling Out. I am humbled by this recognition, and I am embracing the fullness of this experience. As mentioned, I serve as the president for Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and also the interim president for the Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township.
Thank you. So, in my line of work, no two days are alike. There are complex decisions, herculean efforts every single day to save lives and often give life. I get to work with superheroes every day and lead superheroes every day, but I never thought of myself the same. So, I do believe that all of us are given gifts and talents that we should work to harness to live out our purpose.
As I reflect on my own, and I’m going to say superpowers, intuition, relatability, compassion, and the ability to take really complex things and make them simple, I realize that I use them every single day at work and in my personal life. I am very grateful for my beautiful family, and I won’t do names today. My best friends, my sorority sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. I had too many Deltas in the room tonight. Shout out to my bestie, the Delta, who nominated me by the way. And I love her.
That was not supposed to elicit an “oop”. Sorry, shout out to my husband and daughter. I’d get in trouble if I didn’t say that. And my parents both said. But I am really grateful for everyone who showed up and showed out tonight to celebrate me. I am also grateful to my colleagues, who none of them are in the room, but I had to acknowledge them because they get a lot of my time. Really for allowing me the space to live out loud, to have grace to make mistakes, and most importantly to celebrate me when I excel, and I make a difference. So, thank you again for this honor and congratulations to my fellow sisters with superpowers.
