Teresa Sparks, CFO, Surgery Partners
What led you to join Leadership Health Care?
A commitment to gain a better understanding of the health care community, and to network with those individuals.
What has been the most rewarding part of being a member of Leadership Health Care?
Serving as Chairwoman and the role on the broader Nashville Health Care Council board. That was a great experience to interact with executives across the sector and adding some diversity to this very traditional board! Also, I had the opportunity to be mentored by Tom Cigarran through the board to board mentoring program; he was amazing and that was an invaluable experience.
What is your favorite thing about Nashville?
I’m a native Nashvillian…it is home! I love everything about it – with the exception of our newfound traffic woes!
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
From a professional standpoint, at every level in your career: – know your job/company/industry. Understand the big picture by understanding the basics to the complex in order to add the most value to the organization.
What famous business person do you most admire and why?
Claire Gulmi, CFO for Envision (formally AmSurg). Claire agreed to mentor me as a young lady starting out in my career. She was gracious enough to do so and I continue to admire her as a person, her professional achievements and I value our friendship.
As you think about the future of the health care industry, what is most motivating to you?
The most motivating aspect of our industry remains the ability to improve patient lives. I am honored to represent an industry built upon compassionate and caring professionals who demonstrate that daily as they care for patients.
Also, as a provider of outpatient services, we offer a clear solution to the challenges in our industry today. We have built a business that is on the right side of the cost equation and are well positioned to provide a broader solution to our health care challenges.