Emily Fry, MHA, VP Strategy, Sanford Health

What’s your current role?

I just started with Sanford about a month ago! I was formerly with Geisinger Health, a leading organization within Pennsylvania, running innovation. I joined Sanford as the VP, Strategy to lead and manage our strategic planning and growth responsibilities. This organization has an amazing vision to become the premier rural health care organization in the United States. My role is to help develop and cascade our goals to achieve this vision with amazing leaders across the organization.

When did you join the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST and what roles have you held within the TRUST?

I joined the TRUST 2 years ago. I moved to Minnesota in 2019 with my husband. While we have lived in the Midwest for over 6 years now, we didn’t feel a part of the community (thanks COVID!). I knew I wanted to volunteer, network and be a part of this local Midwest community of amazing healthcare leaders but didn’t know where to start. I joined the TRUST and was immediately immersed in an amazing network of strong female leaders across the community. Over the last two years, my local network has gone from 0 to too many to count!

I joined the board this year because I was so amazed at the strength of the community and knew I wanted to be more deeply involved in it!

What has been your favorite part of the TRUST?

My favorite part of being a member is the opportunity to connect with new people and support others. The organization offers a wide range of valuable resources, including a mentoring network, events, and educational sessions, catering to different networking preferences and professional needs. I also appreciate the diversity within the network of membership, as the TRUST fosters and accepts professionals across all sectors of the healthcare industry—not just those working in hospitals or health systems.

What is the best career advice you’ve received?

The best career advice I have ever received is simple: Be kind first, and smart second. This principle is especially important when engaging with new or diverse groups. Leading with kindness fosters inclusivity, ensures all voices are heard, and creates an environment where collaboration and innovation can thrive.

Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly influenced your leadership style?

I can’t pinpoint a single moment in my career that has defined my leadership style. Instead, I believe leadership is dynamic—constantly evolving through new experiences, challenges, mentorship, and the leaders we work with/for. The individuals I work for play a crucial role in shaping my leadership approach and professional development. A great leader not only makes work more fulfilling but also influences how we engage with and lead our teams over time, often in ways we may not immediately realize.

Additionally, several books have significantly shaped my perspectives on leadership. A few I’ve particularly enjoyed include Team of Teams, Moonshots, Good to Great, and The First-Time Manager.

What strategies do you use to build effective teams and promote collaboration?

As a manager, it is essential to create space for both one-on-one conversations and, more importantly, regular team huddles. These meetings should be a consistent part of the schedule, providing teams with an open forum to discuss ongoing work, share challenges, and support one another. A structured and transparent environment fosters collaboration, enhances mutual understanding, and encourages problem-solving. By facilitating open dialogue and addressing challenges collectively, these discussions not only strengthen team engagement but also promote collaboration beyond the meeting room! It seems simple but I think the important thing to stress here is creating the consistency of those forums. Secondly, I think an important strategy to build effective teams comes back to clarity around the goals of the department but also how it ties to the overall mission of the organization. This helps create not only personal clarity in what needs to get done in day-to-day work but also how I, as an individual contributor, am making a difference for the organization overall. It is a manager’s job to help create and reinforce those ties.

What emerging trend in health care are you most excited about?

While it may sound cliché, the rapid advancements in intelligent automation and AI are truly transformative—not just for healthcare, but across industries. Throughout history, innovation has continuously reshaped the way we work and think, from the shift from candles to lightbulbs to the transition from manual math calculations to calculators and computers handling complex equations. In healthcare, AI and automation have already started to impact physician burnout, enable earlier cancer detection, and enhance disease progression, among many other breakthroughs. While it will take time to identify the most effective applications and adapt to these changes at both individual and departmental levels, it is essential that we remain proactive in understanding and integrating these technologies into our work. Running the Intelligent Automation Hub at Geisinger, I have seen firsthand the incremental impacts this work has on both clinical and administrative tasks. When you have a willingness and openness to try, I promise you will be amazed at how much it can help you!