Meet Shellé Jones, passionate about positively impacting the lives of others and new EVP of Revenue at Babyscripts.
Prior to this new role, Shellé orchestrated multiple major payer partnerships for Babyscripts in her position as VP of Payer Partnerships and Strategic Accounts, and the leadership at Babyscripts knew that her depth of experience and passion for the mission made her an ideal fit for her current position.
Just as important, they valued the unique insight and skill that Shellé, as a woman and a mother, will bring to the Executive team. As a healthcare company, empowering women with leadership roles is a priority for Babyscripts: both for their intimate experience with the problems that Babyscripts is solving for, and the unique perspectives they offer in guiding the company as a whole.
Shellé shared some of her experiences with our team -- what drives her passion for maternal health, where she sees the field headed, and why she takes the most pride in her daughters.
How did you make your way into the healthcare field?
For me, the most important part of any role has always been having the opportunity to positively impact others through my work. In my post-college job search I interviewed with a healthcare leader who was incredibly passionate about her service not only to the patients in her charge, but to the employees as well. When she called and offered me the opportunity to lead a team in turning around a struggling assisted-living community, I jumped at the chance to join her team.
What would you consider your top professional accomplishments prior to coming to Babyscripts?
Leading teams focused on healthcare innovation and care redesign that demonstrated improved patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and reduced cost of care. Looking back on my career so far I am also very proud of the fact that I have mentored and supported so many people who advanced their careers both while under my leadership and well after.
Did you face any discrimination as a female in the male-dominated tech world?
I am not sure if I would say it's discrimination, but every healthcare company that I've worked for or partnered with has a C-Suite that is almost all white men. I recall arriving at a meeting during the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, and the party I was meeting with said it was nice to easily figure out who I was when I walked up -- because I was a woman, and there were so few women in attendance. Women and other minorities need to occupy more seats in the healthcare C-Suite, not just tech, all of healthcare.
How are females in leadership a value-add at a company like Babyscripts?
Female consumers make the vast majority of the healthcare decisions for their families, and they make up the majority of the hospital workforce. Having females in leadership allows Babyscripts to become more consumer-centric. Women also bring a different set of skills and fresh perspectives to organizations like empathy, creative-thinking, multi-tasking, active listening, effective communication, and coaching. Studies have shown repeatedly that organizations that empower women with leadership are more successful than those who do not.
What do you think is the biggest opportunity in maternal health?
Maternal healthcare in the US lags behind every other developed nation and many other areas of healthcare in the US. Technology can play a meaningful role in supporting care redesign, addressing staffing shortages and access to care, and empowering women to take ownership of their wellness goals and care navigation.
How do you juggle being a parent with a high-pressure situation like working at a start-up?
I'm most successful at juggling when I'm being consistent with boundaries and self-care. Prioritizing self-care is something that I struggle with, but I know that I am not at my best for my family or the organization when this is not in check.
How do you want to influence the culture at Babyscripts?
In my career, I've seen that success comes when there's effective collaboration between cross-functional teams who make data-informed decisions. I want to help build trusting, collaborative partnerships across teams that allow us to effectively execute on the day-to-day business while we also continue to innovate.
Do you have a life motto?
I don’t know if it’s a motto, but I would say a quote that I try to live by is, “I’m here to get it right, not to be right.”
What are you most proud of in your professional career? Personal life?
In my professional career, I’m most proud of the times that I look back on and know that I positively impacted the lives of others. Whether those were days where I stood side-by-side with a family, supporting them while they said goodbye to a loved one on hospice; watching a team member I mentored grow and find success; reading that an innovative program I helped design demonstrated improved care; or the many opportunities I have had to make a difference, I am so thankful for each and every one of them.
Personally, I'm so proud of my girls. While I'm proud of their achievements in academics, the arts, and sports; I'm most proud of how kind they are to others. They see other people in ways that most people don’t. They recognize the needs of others and advocate for them most of the time quietly taking no recognition for their kindness. So often I stand in awe and am just so thankful that I was chosen to be their Mom.
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