Mikelle Moore has been a part of Intermountain Healthcare’s leadership team for over 20 years. In April 2017, Mikelle joined the Executive Leadership Team and serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Community Health Officer. In this role, Mikelle leads system-wide prevention and community health improvement efforts insupport of Intermountain’s mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible. Prior to this role, Mikelle served as Vice President of Community Benefit. Mikelle also serves as President of the Intermountain Community Care Foundation and Intermountain Accountable Care Board of Managers.

Previously, Mikelle served as the Administrator of Intermountain’s LDS Hospital from 2004 to 2011. She joined Intermountain as an Administrative Fellow in 1998 after working in a provider-owned health plan and at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Mikelle earned her Master of Business Administration and Master of Health Services Administration degrees from Arizona State University and her Bachelor of Physiology degree from the University of Arizona.

Mikelle is a certified Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is active in numerous community organizations, and currently serves on the boards of Shelter the Homeless, United Way of Salt Lake, and Envision Utah. Mikelle also serves on a number of advisory boards and councils throught the community, including the State of Utah’s Health Disparities Advisory Council, the Governor’s Youth Suicide Prevention Taskforce, and the Salt Lake City Homeless Commission.

On November 12, Mikelle will be recognized by the Salt Lake Chamber as a 2019 Pathfinder at the Women & Business Conference and ATHENA Awards Luncheon. This award is given to community leaders who “create new paths” and promote the development and recognition of women in business.

Here are three questions to get to know Mikelle a little bit better:

  1. What is your most rewarding professional experience?I love the work that I’m doing now to improve health in the community. If I had to choose an experience outside of the work I am currently doing, it would be during my time as 13th (and first female) Administrator of LDS Hospital. With the opening of Intermountain Medical Center, LDS Hospital transitioned from Intermountain’s flagship, Trauma 1 facility to a community hospital that serves the needs of metro Salt Lake City.I had the opportunity to lead multiple teams of medical staff, healthcare leaders, and frontline caregivers, through the experience of redefining delivery of care during this transition to ensure patients received the same quality of care as before.
  2. What do you see as the biggest challenge women face in business today?I believe women are enjoying many successes, however there are still challenges. Women are contributing more than ever in all aspects of the community, in professional and business environments, as well as in civil and political realms, despite unequal pay and disparities in each of these environments.There tends to be a conflict between the desire to bring one’s whole self to work and ensuring perceived professional contributions. Some believe that certain aspects of femininity might not serve them well in professional environments, but at the same time want to be an advocate for ideals, recognizing the ways they may be perceived, and balance that as they fulfill their professional goals.
  3. What does your organization do to support women face in business today?Intermountain Healthcare’s overall caregiver population is more than 70% female. We are proud to create many job opportunities for women in all aspects of healthcare, yet recognize that like other industries, there are fewer women in higher ranks of management, medical leadership, and board members. We are embracing this very directly by providing leadership training programs focused on identifying women with potential and desire for leadership.I currently serve as an executive sponsor for our Women in Leadership program. We also have a Women in Analytics and Women in Medicine caregiver resource groups.  Both groups and the program help to develop and inspire women to advance their careers and to be successful in bringing their whole selves to work.

    Many women leaders also serve as mentors to others who are pursuing a variety of degrees, starting careers, or seeking advancement opportunities.

  4. Who are your heroes and why?My heroes include a variety of people I have gotten to know throughout my life and work experiences.First and foremost, my parents, whose examples of dedication and hard work and always making decisions based on their own values and ethics have led me in how I want to live a full life that integrates professional accomplishments with a desire to be a good mom, spouse, friend, and human being.

    I have had a lot of heroes in my professional life as I work with some many different people to improve the health of those in our communities. These heroes shine brightly through action or in service to others where there is ability to stand up for what they believe. I use these experiences to inspire me to be a better person.

    Elizabeth Hammond was an early hero of mine. Elizabeth is a very accomplished pathologist and a graduate of Harvard Medical School. Elizabeth had the opportunity to be a leader in the Boston medical community but chose to come back to practice in Salt Lake because of her desire to join her husband and raise her family. As her career developed, she became very influential, not just in how pathology was perceived, but also how the whole world felt about heart transplantation. She never questioned her abilities, but let her work speak for itself. She didn’t ask for special favors, and accomplished great things, always in a feminine, yet professional and value-driven way.

  5. What motivates you?I believe that as human beings we have the opportunity to work together to create a life we want and a place we believe can be better. I am motivated by the power that I have individually, but also to work with others to create something different, where there is an opportunity for everyone.I grew up in a pretty normal household with 2 responsible parents and feel very fortunate to have had that upbringing, also recognizing through my own experience that there are a lot of people who were raised in different types of households. Our current culture doesn’t embrace challenges and difference. We need to collectively accept these differences and make our communities what we want them to be. This motivates me to think that way every day.
  6. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?Growing up, my parents advised me to work hard and do my best and all of those kinds of things that do with work ethic. They also advised me to always be kind and that there was room for kindness in almost every situation. I have been reminded of this with many experiences in my life.During my professional career I was advised that I needed to become sterner, so I wouldn’t be perceived as a pushover or too kind. I then received advice during a very poignant time in my career. Caring for people I work with and people we serve always matters. There was a shift in thinking that kindness just meant being nice to deeply caring about people I serve throughout my life, both personally and professionally.  This has been really good advice, even though the meaning has changed over time with how I apply it.  I strive to always be transparent and honest and consider what’s best, even if it means making hard decisions and difficulties. This is lifetime advice that has morphed as I have grown as a person and leader.
  7. What advice would you share with other younger professionals?It is really great to have a plan for your life and have educational, career, and personal goals. But with this plan, I encourage to also be open to things you don’t expect and judge each opportunity with as fresh of perception as possible. Take into consideration the long-term impact and not just the immediate satisfaction. Most of my extraordinary personal and professional advances have been the greatest detours from what I had expected life or my career to be.