LEADERSHIP PROFILE
Venita Owens , MBA
President , Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center
mproving the health of the community , including those who are uninsured or underinsured , is the goal of the Baylor Scott & White Health and Wellness Center . That mission is a motivational driver for Venita Owens , who served as chief operating officer of the center for eight years before becoming president in March . In a role that she says allows her to be selfless , Owens is leading a team that is making a positive , measurable difference in the communities in the southern sector of Dallas .
What is your leadership style ?
I am very hands-on and inclusive . My favorite part of the day is walking around the center and talking to our staff and our members , the people we serve . I am very approachable and have an open-door policy , and I include our staff in decision making . I like transparency .
Can you point to a life experience that helped shape the way you think ?
I grew up in a neighborhood in Illinois very similar to those that we serve . If there had been a center similar to this where I was reared , there would have been fewer amputations , fewer organ failures and fewer premature deaths . If this center had existed there , people would not have waited until they were so sick that they needed to be hospitalized . My experience and history drive me . I understand the importance of having these services in the neighborhood where people can easily
walk or catch a bus to the facility . And it allows us to raise the importance of health in the lives of these individuals — we are able to help them make a healthy lifestyle a higher priority .
How big of a role does communication play in healthcare ?
It is critical . I will give you an example : With the COVID-19 vaccine , we know there is a lot of incorrect information out there . Our role is to give accurate information and communicate it regularly — several times a week — to individuals in the community on the topic of the vaccine and the importance of receiving it . We also speak with our members about ensuring that their health is good and that they are taking their medications appropriately , exercising and cooking healthy meals . It requires constant communication . We have a hands-on approach to everything that we do , and it works . Information is power , and that is what we give them .
How do you motivate your team ? People who are successful at the Health & Wellness Center are those who
“ We have a hands-on approach to everything that we do , and it works . Information is power , and that is what we give them .”
— Venita Owens
see their jobs as a mission and a ministry . These are people to whom helping the community is second nature . Everyone on our frontline staff is cross-trained in both wellness and chronic disease education , and 80 % of our staff is certified as community health workers . Certification requires a 120-hour course through the State of Texas , and it indicates that the staff is serious about what we do . We have to be available when the need arises and , for our staff , our members are an extension of their own families .
How do you stay healthy ?
Thank God we have a fitness center on-site ! I follow the same principles we teach . I see my doctor regularly , I exercise and I eat right — that has been a challenge during the pandemic , but I am getting back on track ! Maintaining your health is a marathon ; it ’ s not something you can do overnight . It takes time and it necessitates a lifestyle change .
Changing behavior is difficult , but not impossible . That is our goal , to change the behavior and the mindset of our members , and I try to put that into practice as well .
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THE COMPASS / BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE FOUNDATION NEWS / SUMMER 2021