March 23, 2025
The award of Non-Clinical Director of the Year to Jamare Dickerson, Executive Director of EVS at St. Mary's Hospital of Richmond, highlights the power of caring for your team, building strong relationships, and having a positive, "can-do" approach—qualities that define excellent internal leadership and contribute to the quality service and strong reputation HHS provides to its customers.
Jamare, front row, far right.
Jamare’s Leadership Style: People First
His leadership style stems from "meeting people where they are in life." This simple but powerful idea means understanding and valuing everyone on his team. He knows that being a good leader and team member is more than just giving orders or completing tasks. It's about empathy, understanding, and being willing to meet people where they are, both at work and in their lives.
Creating a Supportive Environment
He creates an environment where everyone can talk openly and feel supported, knowing that his role is about more than just being a director. "Being an executive director for the department," he explains, "you're just not a director for just working. You have to be a mentor." His open-door policy makes his team comfortable discussing anything, from work problems to personal issues. "I have always had that open door since I've been in the department," he says, "where associates can come to my office and talk about whatever it is… and I have that open door."
Collaboration within the Hospitals
"Working with the other leaders in the hospital, doing our collaborative rounds, getting to know leaders on a personal level but also keeping it professional," he explains, showing how he balances professional collaboration with personal connection. He works to build these connections, understanding that a team-oriented environment is key to providing the best patient care.
Career Growth in HHS
For people who want to grow their careers at HHS, especially in EVS, Jamare has this advice: "Since I've been in EVS, I've learned quite a few things," he shares. "Again, I would say learning to meet people where they are in life, just meeting them where they’ at." He stresses the importance of understanding the different backgrounds and experiences of EVS staff and the need for empathy and compassion. "In EVS," he notes, "you get a lot of people from different backgrounds, and everybody comes with their struggles and different walks of life, and you just have to be able to work with them."
The Importance of Recognition
"It meant a lot," he explained, "just not realizing that people are paying attention to your leadership, how you are structuring things throughout the facility, how you're leading your people." It shows that even when you're working behind the scenes, strong leadership makes an impact and that dedication to your role, whatever it may be, is valuable and noticed.