By Chris Bent, TRUST President
Chances are you know a powerful woman in health care. And by powerful, I don’t necessarily mean someone who ranks in the top 10 “best of” list. I’m talking about women who are powerful because of their faith and resiliency, their ability to be innovative and resourceful, their ability to forge relationships and advance health and well-being.
I’m talking about powerful women like our 2021 TRUST Forum Award winners who indeed embody great traits and our Forum theme, Power of Us. These women are so very deserving of recognition at our Awards Celebration on September 14 and at our annual Forum on September 28.
These 20 women stayed resilient and successfully led through incredibly demanding times when change enveloped us daily, and we weren’t sure what was around the corner. They took on the pandemic and addressed racism, injustices and inequities. Together, these women represent change, hope, renewal and transformation within the health care industry.
I would like to be among the first to give my heartfelt congratulations to these amazing, powerful women: Taylor Hohmann, Know the Truth; Jana Martin, Second Harvest Heartland; Sheila Riggs, DDS, DMSc, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry; Penny Wheeler, MD, Allina Health; Lida Etemad, UnitedHealth Group; Helene Freint, Minnesota Community Care; Jessica Holm, Hennepin Health Care; Jessie Waks, Bluestone Physician Services; Julia Crist, Allina Health; Sarah Dye, Optum; Annie Idekar, MD, HealthPartners; Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk, PhD, Canomiks; Minda Garcia, Allina Health; Samantha Hanson, North Memorial Health; Arti Prasad, MD, FACP, Hennepin Health Care; Anjoli Punjabi, MOBE; Asha Hassan, Planned Parenthood North Central States; Hilal Ibrahim, Henna and Hijabs; Cindy Kaigama, Minnesota Community Care; and Pinar Karaca-Mandic, University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
Way to go!
I hope to see you virtually at our Awards Celebration and Forum. During these events, we will honor vibrant women leaders in health care who have built partnerships and collaborated to tackle some of our toughest challenges, advanced health and well-being, innovated technological advances, improved the overall health of our communities, and been recognized as exceptional leaders.
We are fortunate to have Nneka Sederstrom, PhD, chief health equity officer at Hennepin Health Care, moderate our Awards Celebration and interview special guest, Sanya Pirani, a Prior Lake teen who founded Sanya’s Hope for Children. This will be followed at the Forum by our featured presenter, Meredith Leigh Moore , a local author, sought-after speaker and thought leader on advancing women at work and her special guest Minnesota Representative Ruth Richardson. From these conversations, we will see that everyone can do something—you just have to start. At both events we’ll be inspired by stories of individuals taking action; we will see the power of one and how as we start with ourselves and then work together we can unlock the power of us.
Christine (Chris) Bent currently serves as TRUST President and is Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Prime Therapeutics. Chris was named one of the Notable Heroes of Health Care for 2020 by Twin Cities Business.