Kimberly Shaw
Chief Executive Officer
Dignity Health
Las Vegas, NV USA
“if you love something, love it. Don't let anyone rain on your parade—just love doing it.”
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
I was the first kid in my family, on both sides, to go to college and finish college. To me, that was incredible; especially because I did it with three kids.
Then, I worked as a nurse for several years. My husband asked me one time, "How many lives have you saved?" Now looking back, I'm proud of every time I helped save someone's life or made it better.
More recently, I became a CEO of a company. As a woman going up the ranks, it was not an easy path, so I'd say that was a big deal for me.
This past year I was nominated for Women Inspiring Nevada and that was just a huge honor. I was humbled that someone would nominate me for it.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Vocational
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Vernon Regional Junior College
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Vernon Regional Junior College
Bachelor
Nursing
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Nursing
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Graduate
Business
Texas Woman's University
Business
Texas Woman's University
Career
Chief Executive Officer
We are responsible for the strategic vision and overall operation of our hospital, making sure we provide quality care.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Medicine
Non-Profit Organizations
Helping People
Day to Day
My days are interesting in that I don't work regular office hours like most people. There are days that I start at 6-7 AM to meet with physicians, or stay late for events. Some days I may need to go out for some sort of community project or go meet with other people within the hospital association. My calendar can be a 6-hour day or a 16-hour day, it really depends. We also do things to try and stay involved in the community like fundraising or attending community events.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Go volunteer at the hospital. That's the easiest way because the hospital doesn't pay you but if you go and participate in their volunteer program, you get to actually interact with their patients and staff, and you get to see the inner workings of the hospital. Afterwards, you can then figure out if this is something you would like to do. You get to watch different people doing different jobs so you can figure out what you might like.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Vocational
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Licensed Vocational Nurse
Bachelor
Nursing
Nursing
Graduate
Business
Business
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Family:
"As a teenager, I told someone in my family I think I want to be a doctor that delivers babies. They would respond, "Think of all the dinners and holidays you'll miss. You'll always get called out." "
Challenges I Overcame
Single Parent
Financial
Gangs / Violence
Q&A
What do you enjoy doing on your free time?
Asked by Anthony at Roadtrip NationI love to travel. We have a condo in Costa Rica so we travel back and forth a couple times a year, but I like traveling anywhere. One of my favorite trips was when I took my 80 year-old dad on a trip to the safari in Africa.
Interviewed By
Anthony
at Roadtrip Nation
