In honor of International Women’s Day, we share the story of Kathy Hull, Chief of Small Rural Hospitals for Blessing Health, whose 35 years in healthcare has seen great growth, both personally and professionally.
Being raised on a family farm in rural Arenzville, Illinois instilled many key skills into Kathy Hull early in her life.
“I learned about work ethic very early on and how working hard and doing your part was very important,” Hull, now the Chief of Small Rural Hospitals for Blessing Health, said. “From the time I was very little, we all had our daily chores. We all had a role to play on the farm.”
As a student in elementary and high school, Hull fell in love with the sciences and knew that a career path in healthcare was something she wanted to pursue as she grew into adulthood.
“My dad wanted me to be a diesel mechanic. He really thought that would be a good addition to the farm,” Hull said with a smile. “I really thought earlier in my life that I would be a doctor. But, sometimes, life will interrupt what you think is going to happen. I met a man (her husband Jack of 39 years) and we got married. I felt like medical school was a little bit beyond my desire at that time.”
Though medical school was not in the cards, Hull still felt the calling of the healthcare field in her life.
“I was very fortunate in my junior college setting to be in the classroom with a professor who could see that I loved science and encouraged me to pursue the Lab Science program at Sangamon State (now known as the University of Illinois at Springfield),” Hull said. “It was a very competitive program at the time, with 60 to 70 applicants for 12 spots. I was fortunate to be accepted and have often said I didn’t really pick the lab field, it picked me.”
Hull began her professional journey and quickly found she had another calling – leadership.
“I was given the opportunity to do what was called the Education Coordinator in the lab at the hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois. It was really my first taste of any kind of management role,” Hull said. “As much as I loved the lab aspect of my job, I began to love the leadership aspect even more.”
In 1999, Hull applied for and was named the Lab Manager at Illini Community Hospital in Pittsfield, IL.
“That was really my first role where I was truly tasked with leading a whole department,” Hull said. “I did that role for a couple of years and then took on additional responsibilities in infection control and quality improvement, neither of which I knew a ton about but learned as I went along the way.”
A few years later, Hull applied to be the Administrative Director of Nursing at Illini, even though she was not a nurse herself.
“I didn’t let a little thing like that stop me,” Hull said. “When I didn’t get the job, I felt like it was a loss.”
However, Hull quickly learned that life sometimes gives you just what you need in the right moment.
“The individual who did get the role was a woman by the name of Vickie Condon,” Hull said. “I consider Vickie to be the most value added mentor I’ve ever had in my career. She took me under her wing and taught me a lot of things. She taught me about leadership – what to do and what not to do. She helped me grow as a person and I will forever be in her debt.”
Hull’s career continued to grow with additional responsibilities and she was eventually named the Administrator of Illini Community Hospital 11 years ago.
Though Hull says she understands that everyone’s path is different, she never has personally felt that she was treated differently as a woman in healthcare leadership.
“That probably comes from being raised by an incredibly strong mother who taught me I was as good as anyone, and from a father who was very respectful of women and understood that all people have different types of skills and abilities,” Hull said. “I also have had some amazing female mentors along the way – Connie Schroeder, Maureen Kahn and Betty Kasparie to name a few. They all have taught me so much about what it means to lead.”
As Hull enters the file stretch of her professional career, mentoring others has become a passion of her own.
“It’s something I really enjoy doing. Right now, I’m in the unique situation of mentoring my new boss. It’s a bit odd because I feel I have a great deal I can learn from him as well, but it’s going well,” Hull said. “I tell new leaders a few things. When you get the opportunity to learn something, learn it. When you get the chance to assist with something new or different, do it. Don’t be afraid to fail and don’t be so hard on yourself. As a leader, build a strong team, hire people who are much smarter than you and always remember that you don’t have to be all things to all people at all times. Show yourself some grace.”