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COVER STORY
A Path to Healthcare “I always loved science. It was just fascinating to me. I wanted to be a physician growing up because it was more than just the study of science; it was the opportunity to apply it and help people,” shares Christina Zorn, Chief Administrative Officer at Mayo Clinic. While she initially imagined herself working in healthcare at the bedside, Christina would ultimately find herself serving patients through a different path – one that would allow her to lead a transformation of the healthcare industry by placing a strong emphasis on people and technology. Starting her undergrad as a pre- med major, Christina adjusted her focus during her senior year, opting to attend law school instead. “Law school was very different than studying science in undergrad. It was such an interesting way of thinking, and I loved the analytical aspect of it,” describes Christina. Recognizing she still had a passion for helping others and wanted to work within healthcare, Christina found a law firm representing the University of Nebraska Medical Center and interned there. “I was doing work as a hospital attorney at an internship level. I was still connected to the science, and that enabled me to focus on health law as an opportunity,” she elaborates. After some time in private practice, Christina transitioned to Mayo Clinic in Florida as an in-house attorney. “Mayo Clinic was looking for someone with experience with privacy and security; there weren’t a lot of attorneys with that emphasis at the time,” she summarizes. “It was my natural curiosity that brought me to Mayo Clinic – once I arrived there, my curiosity didn’t stop, and I volunteered for a lot of other responsibilities that were not part of my job description, which took me to administration,” Christina shares with a smile.
THE VALUES-BASED CULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT HERE ARE UNLIKE ANY OTHER PLACE.
I KNEW THAT AT MAYO CLINIC, I WOULD HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON PATIENTS
AND HEALTHCARE TRANSFORMATION. I’M GRATEFUL FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAN MYSELF.”
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL
Finding Purpose at Mayo Clinic Christina eventually took the full leap into administration and accepted the Chief Administrative Officer role in Florida. After seven years leading in that role, she took on the responsibility of Chief Administrative Officer of the entire Mayo Clinic enterprise, which includes major campuses in Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona, as well as campuses around the world. As part of her role, Christina is responsible for administrative functions in clinical practice, research, education, international, digital businesses, and enterprise shared services. In partnership with Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, Mayo Clinic’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Christina is responsible for the strategy and operations of the entire organization. “We have 76,000 employees, and we’re continuing to grow. Last year we had 15,000 employees start a new role at Mayo Clinic, which is incredible growth given the staffing issues across healthcare right now,” Christina relates. “I’m really proud that Mayo Clinic is a place that people want to start and continue their careers,” she adds.
Mayo Clinic’s mission of ‘inspiring hope and promoting health through integrated clinical practice, education, and research’ is a huge draw for employees and patients alike. “The values-based culture and the environment here are unlike any other place. I knew that at Mayo Clinic, I would have a direct impact on patients and healthcare transformation. I’m grateful for the privilege of working for something bigger than myself,” Christina affirms. Enabling Purpose Through Technology Christina makes it clear that people and purpose are the utmost priority – for her and Mayo Clinic – and technology is the enabler making it possible. “If you think about our mission of providing the best healthcare, focused on putting the needs of the patient first, it relies entirely on technology. We have a strong partnership with our IT leaders and our information technology and security teams, and we challenge them to be an ally to the entire organization,” expresses Christina.
– CHRISTINA ZORN
People & Purpose | 13
12 | People & Purpose
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