LHMC President Susan Moffatt-Bruce, MD, PhD, Talks Being a Woman Leader in Health
March is Women’s History Month. At Lahey Hospital & Medical Center (LHMC), we’re proud to celebrate the women that help fulfill our mission to deliver compassionate health care to each of our patients. We recently sat down with Susan Moffatt-Bruce, MD, PhD, LHMC’s newest president, to chat about how her experience as a female leader has shaped her approach to health care administration.
Dr. Moffatt-Bruce’s roots in healthcare stretch all the way to childhood, and it was the women in her life that first inspired her to consider a career in the industry. “My mother was my hero,” she told us. “She was a nurse for 52 years. I remember her going to work and always coming home so proud of the care she had given to patients during her shift.”
Moffatt-Bruce saw how gratifying her mother found the work and was hooked. Eventually, when her mother was a cardiology nurse, she began volunteering and instantly realized it was her calling. “I was fortunate to have been able to really appreciate the power of healing and the privilege we have as health care providers to bring that to our patients and their families.”
She eventually found a career in cardiothoracic surgery, but it didn’t take long for her to recognize the structural barriers women face every day. In fact, she attributes some of her success to her tireless efforts to overcome those inequities. “I perhaps always tried a little harder and stayed a little longer to make sure my care of patients was excellent,” she said.
Delivering health care excellence is still the top priority for Susan as president of LHMC, but she’s also committed to using her influence to positively impact future generations of female health care professionals. “I hope that I will be seen as a role model who created spaces for all voices at the table and as someone who was brave enough to address the very real challenges we face in health care today.”
Although Moffatt-Bruce has found success in an overwhelmingly male-dominated space, she still makes it her mission to break down the barriers keeping not just women, but people of all identity groups from pursuing their career aspirations in health care. “I have a responsibility to leverage my privilege as a healthcare provider to address the inequities that exist and truly forge and walk the path toward reconciliation for all peoples and patients.”