By Sara A. Mayo
Leaders rarely begin their careers with a clear pathway forward, and healthcare leaders are no exception.
In an ever-evolving field, healthcare leaders must adapt quickly, take on new challenges and make decisions without always having complete information.
These moments of uncertainty are often the ones that shape them most as leaders.
That reality framed the discussion among several alumnae and colleagues of the University of Florida Master of Health Administration program who participated in the biannual UF M.H.A. Women in Healthcare Leadership Symposium. Held every odd fall, the series highlights women leading across the healthcare management field and reflects the program’s continued commitment to leadership development.
Panelists included Dr. Lee Revere, PhD, FACHE, professor and Florida Blue Endowed Chair in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions; Laura Gruber, M.B.A./M.H.S. (’97), director of administration and strategy for UF Health Physicians; Kellie Pintado, M.H.A. (’14), associate director for strategic development in the UF College of Pharmacy; and Mary Kate Flynn, M.H.A. (’11), M.B.A. administrative director of operations at UF Health. Each represents a varying career stage within healthcare leadership.
Guiding the conversation was moderator, Gailine McCaslin, M.S., PMP, director of managed care strategy and operations at UF Health.
The symposium brought together M.H.A. students, alumni, faculty, friends of the program and community members to explore what it means to “lead when the path is uncertain”, revolving around decision-making, transparency and leadership growth in healthcare.
Gruber opened the discussion, responding to a question during a time early in her career when leadership emerged unexpectedly. During residency, she was assigned two major projects with little guidance: developing a bariatric center of excellence and collaborating with physicians to build a cardiovascular center. The lessons she learned were not about managing people, she said, but about identifying pain points, assembling the right voices and creating a roadmap from scratch.
She said those early moments defined her understanding of leadership.
“I didn’t expect what was handed to me,” she said. “It was a whole different animal.”
That sense of learning in real time resonated with Pintado, who reflected on stepping into a new administrative role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid workforce shortages and operational uncertainty, she helped open an employee vaccination clinic almost overnight.
“Every day was a new day,” Pintado said. “It was incredibly stressful, but it taught us how to pivot and make decisions in the moment, sometimes literal life-saving decisions.”
For Revere, those early-career learning moments reinforced a foundational leadership principle often emphasized within the M.H.A. program: prioritizing people first.
“I’m only as good as my team,” Revere said. “If the people reporting to me can’t do their jobs, nothing else matters.”
As the conversation turned to managing competing priorities, Flynn acknowledged that healthcare leaders, early-careerists and seasoned professionals alike, often feel overwhelmed.
“I freeze sometimes because I have so much,” she said. “But you have to dig out, prioritize and start getting things off your back.”
Pintado compared leadership to juggling different responsibilities.
“Some balls are rubber and will bounce back,” she said. “Some are glass and won’t, and you need to know which is which.”
Outside of work, she added, keeping family as a priority helps her maintain balance.
Across roles and experiences, the panelists agreed that transparency is essential to building trust. Gruber emphasized the importance of honesty, even when answers are incomplete.
“I tell people, ‘This is what I know, and this is what I don’t know,’” she said. “And I’ll let you know when I know more.”
Flynn added that acknowledging uncertainty can also prevent misinformation. “Even saying ‘I don’t know’ goes a long way,” she said. “People will hear something somewhere, and you want to be the one who stops the rumor mill.”
Revere added that explaining who is making decisions and when updates may come can help reduce anxiety. “Sometimes you just have to wait,” she said, “but you can still communicate.” In particular, sharing a perception of a situation, even when decisions are still in progress, can help reduce anxiety and build credibility.
Pintado, who describes herself as an open leader, said transparency must coexist with professionalism. During a recent shift in return-to-office requirements, she made sure her team understood both the college’s needs and the origin of the decision, while still honoring confidentiality. “I wanted them to know where it came from and what it meant for us.”
That emphasis on communication extends to workplace culture. Revere shared how her department supported her during a personal crisis, underscoring the importance of trust and connection.
“Because my department felt like a family, it was never a question of where I was,” she said. “They said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ve got this.’ That’s why culture matters.”
Intuition, the panelists said, plays a meaningful role in leadership, noting that true leadership decisions are rarely driven by data alone. Particularly in an era dominated by artificial intelligence, the human component still plays a major role in health leadership.
“Data doesn’t always give you the answer,” Gruber said. “Often it’s intuition, reading the room, and that gut decision that gets you the final answer.” Flynn emphasized emotional intelligence, watching body language and tone to gauge how choices will affect others.
In closing, the panelists reflected on what they would tell their younger selves during difficult leadership moments. The group strongly encouraged self-compassion. Gruber, who admitted she is tough on herself, offered perspective:
“You’re never as good as you are when you win, and you’re never as bad as you think you are when you lose.”
Flynn’s advice was simpler.
“It’s okay,” she said, looking from the stage to the students seated in front of her.
As the UF M.H.A. program celebrates its 60th anniversary, conversations like these honor the legacy shaped by generations of alumni while continuing to strengthen the foundation for those who will lead next, reminding students that growth often begins in uncertainty, and leadership is built one decision at a time.
To learn more about the UF M.H.A. program and its 60th anniversary celebration, please visit their site here.