DR . VAL by MATTHEW PRYOR & JUSTIN BRIONES
Matthew : When my wife accepted the position of President-Elect for the Greater Louisville Medical Society ( GLMS ), Valerie ( or Val , as I affectionately call her ) approached her younger brother ( Justin ), and me about writing an introductory article for her . We both accepted this daunting task , somewhat nervously , hoping that we adequately captured and expressed how special and important she is in our lives . As her husband , I definitely have a somewhat different perspective of her than Justin , who knows Val as his big sister . Regardless of our respective views , both of us wholeheartedly agree that the GLMS is getting a fantastic leader in “ Dr . Val ,” who will care for this larger community just as deeply as she cares for her family and patients .
Advocating for the health and well-being of the community is a cornerstone of GLMS . As her husband , I have witnessed firsthand how devotedly she cares for her patients and team members . Whether it ’ s volunteering her spare time to help round for an overloaded doctor or setting aside part of her schedule to have lunch with the nursing staff , Dr . Val immerses herself in helping those around her make it through their day . This is a testament to her selfless and humble character .
When it comes to the qualities of a great leader , especially one that can guide GLMS in these complicated times , compassionate and dedicated come to mind . I see this every day through her actions , and how Val is never really “ off .” We have experienced many nights where Val has taken late night calls from a patient ’ s family member who wants to talk through various questions and concerns . Val never lets those phone calls go unanswered . Despite knowing her very well , I was reminded of another example of Val ’ s extraordinary dedication and care for the community in February 2020 .
When COVID-19 first entered our community , no one knew very much about this virus , let alone how easily it spread and whether possible to treat it . As our society struggled with how to deal with this , Val put aside her personal concerns for safety and asked herself how she could serve the community . Immediately , she started leading the COVID-19 unit at Jewish Hospital . I recall our talks about her role on the front line , in particular how she would be at risk , and what precautions she would take to keep both myself and our son safe when she returned home at night . Although she worried about herself and her family , Val fearlessly went forward with her job : because she knew it was the right thing to do . Great leaders don ’ t simply tell others what to do . Instead , they lead by showing others what to do , by setting good examples themselves . Val ’ s unswerving commitment to helping our city through the pandemic has shown us that she is the ideal individual for her new role in GLMS .
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