Children's Hospitals Today - Fall 2023 - 6

ROUNDS / FIRST PERSON
Dream come true
A chief administrative officer's journey to the front line.
BY LINDA MATZIGKEIT
I
have dreamed of serving in a clinical
role ever since seventh grade. Though
my path took me in a different direction
in health care, that yearning persisted
through my career and was amplified
during the pandemic when our care
teams were exhausted and struggling.
In October 2021, after careful consideration,
I decided to become an emergency
medical technician (EMT).
Without telling my colleagues on the
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta executive
team, I enrolled in the Grady EMS
Academy. Two days a week, I left my " day
job " early and completed coursework,
which was a combination of classroom,
lab and clinical rotations. I spent several
weekends in the back of an ambulance
or working 12-hour shifts in Grady
Memorial Hospital's emergency room.
After getting my EMT certification and
license in 2022, I logged 100 training
hours with my preceptor in the emergency
department at Children's Scottish
Rite Hospital.
In March
2023, I completed my first
solo shift as a certified EMT.
In addition to the copious
Linda Matzigkeit
earned her EMT
certification while
serving as chief
administrative officer.
about employees and how we always
look for ways to remove barriers, provide
staffing and resources, and make
decisions to ensure our organization is
financially viable.
This insight inspired the
technical skills I learned
during my training, I gained
firsthand insight into what
our clinical teams experience
every day. Being a
clinical caregiver can take
an emotional toll on a
person. This opportunity
allowed me to be on the front line and
learn the importance of proper training
and precepting.
Most importantly, I learned how the
front line best receives communication,
which is different than what I assumed
as an executive leader. I discovered
front-line employees don't understand
just how much our executive team cares
6
CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS TODAY Fall 2023
IT'S NEVER TOO
LATE TO START
A NEW CAREER
OR PURSUE A
LIFELONG GOAL.
Adopt-a-Team program
we piloted at Children's
Healthcare in late 2022.
The program pairs support
center departments
with clinical teams to offer
encouragement and show
appreciation for their
clinical counterparts. The
program also gives support
center employees exposure
to clinical areas and brings them closer
to our mission of making kids better
today and healthier tomorrow while
continuing to build relationships across
all departments in our system.
I also learned that it's never too
late to start a new career, learn a new
skill, or pursue a lifelong goal. At
Children's, we're able to reinforce this
idea internally through our new Career
Center and externally through our
MomForce program. The Career Center is
a consultation program that has helped
more than 700 employees find growth
and success. Of those, 90% stayed at
Children's, some in their current roles
and others in new roles throughout
the system. The MomForce program is
a paid internship that helps talented,
motivated parents return to the workforce
and gain valuable connections
along with the confidence they need to
return to work.
After this experience, I feel more connected
to all our employees, both on the
front line and behind the scenes. At the
end of the day, I'm better equipped to
fulfill the Children's promise of People
First, Children Always.
Linda Matzigkeit, MBA, is chief
administrative officer at Children's
Healthcare of Atlanta.
Tell your hospital's story. Email
magazine@childrenshospitals.org.
Children's Hospitals Today - Fall 2023

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