Texas Children’s Department of Surgery Mentorship Program paired 62 Advanced Practice Providers with executives, physicians, nursing leaders, administrators and seasoned APPs across the system in 2020, providing each mentee with a trusted and experienced adviser to support and guide them to greater success in their roles.
Launched in 2015 by Ryan Krasnosky, director of the department’s APP program, the initiative connects motivated APPs with engaging mentors with three goals in mind:
- Promoting the benefits of mentoring in the career of an APP,
- Building collaborative relationships throughout the organization, and
- Providing a structured mentoring program for surgical APP leaders and future leaders.
Interest in the program has been so robust that the department designated three separate tracks to allow mentees to focus on the areas of development that most interest them: Leadership, Clinical or Research.
The 2020-21 group of APP mentees came from the Medical Center, The Woodlands and West Campus. To hear firsthand insights about the unique relationships they built with their mentors and all the program accomplished even amidst the challenges of the pandemic, click here to watch a special showcase video created in accordance with social distancing recommendations and other safety precautions. A special thank you to Sarah Philips, PA-C, for producing the video.
“It’s about having somebody you trust to talk to about the challenges that you face, and somebody who’s comfortable enough to share with you stories from their life – things good and bad – and what they’ve learned from that,” Surgeon-in-Chief Larry Hollier said in the video. “The program that’s been developed here is intended to jumpstart this process; to not have you have to rely on simple luck to come across one of these people.”
Senior Vice President Matt Girotto agreed. A sought-after mentor in the program for the last 4 years and counting, he believes we all have mentors in our lives.
“As I reflected upon the questions asked to me, I realized how much I drew upon things I heard or observed at home growing up from my parents, through a homily at church, through a lecture at school or through countless conversations with coworkers and bosses,” Girotto said. “Many of these lessons were not formal, but the words and advice were just as impactful and meaningful.”
If you have interest in becoming a mentor for this upcoming term, please reach out to APP Project Manager Jordan Rodriguez at jlmcandr@texaschildrens.org.