April 12, 2022
Meredith Nations has always been driven to learn and grow. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from Stephen F. Austin State University, and then went on to pursue a Master's in Healthcare Administration from LeTourneau University. In fact, it was the pursuit of that Master’s Degree that brought Meredith to HHS. As a part of the program, she took an internship to gain experience in the healthcare industry. She shares, “I was an intern for the CEO of Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, where HHS had the EVS account. I became friends with [the HHS EVS director there] who referred me to HHS upon completion of my internship.”
After completing the internship, Meredith joined HHS in May 2017 as an AM assistant director of EVS at a startup account in Tyler, Texas. She jumped in headfirst and gained hands-on experience in all aspects of EVS. After several months of supporting the new team, Meredith had the chance to try her hand in other locations. She bounced around a few facilities in East Texas before landing her first EVS director role in October 2019, where she managed clinics and outbuildings. After two years there, she was promoted again to EVS director at Longview Regional Medical Center.
In January 2022, Meredith had the opportunity to continue working towards furthering her career. She came to the HHS Home Office in Dripping Springs, Texas to attend the first HHS Manager Skills Assessment Program (MSAP). The MSAP is designed to evaluate high-potential leaders and help them continue to grow within the organization. Over the course of three days, Meredith, along with five other directors, met with HHS operations and support leaders who evaluated each of their strengths and opportunities.
“I appreciated getting to spend one on one time with each of the department heads as well as meet my peers who I otherwise wouldn't have met,” says Meredith. “The experience was challenging in the best way. I left with even more pride in working for this organization than before, which is saying a great deal because I have always thought highly of HHS.”
Meredith left the MSAP with a new, personalized development plan and a clear new goal on the horizon: vice president of EVS.
As Meredith continues to work on achieving that goal, she has had some great mentors to help lead the way. She says, “Kendra Johnson has been one of my biggest mentors at HHS. She has been a role model, being that most of my other mentors have been men. It has been great to learn from a female leader and see that perspective.”
It’s clear that Meredith is driven to succeed. She says that her husband, who she met in high school, and her two young sons motivate her to continue growing and achieving more. And for Meredith, working at HHS is a family affair: her husband, Kyle, joined HHS in 2021 as an assistant director of EVS.
One of the keys to Meredith’s success is maintaining the perspective of her team. She is keenly aware of how her words and actions can impact those around her. She offers this helpful perspective to other managers: “As a manager, you are going to be someone else's dinner table discussion. Your direct reports are going to go home every day and they're going to talk to the people closest to them about work and what it's like to work for you. So I try to think about what I’d like for them to say and how I want them to describe me. Thinking about being someone's dinner table discussion really puts into perspective how I show up as a leader every day.”
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