Joy Alexander is the Chief Executive Officer of River Hills Community Health Center, with more than three decades of experience in healthcare leadership and strategic growth. She holds a Doctor of Business Administration with an emphasis on rural healthcare systems and a Master of Social Work. Joy is dually licensed in Iowa as a Licensed Independent Social Worker and in Missouri as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. In addition, she has been a professor at several universities, including the University of Iowa, Buena Vista University, and Culver Stockton College. She most recently worked in the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri.
Caring for both the mind and body has been a core goal for Joy since childhood. Her interest in neuroscience, psychology, and the helping professions was sparked by a friend’s suicide attempt in sixth grade. This event became a turning point that set Joy on a journey in leadership focused on making a positive impact in healthcare. Joy and her husband, Troy, are proud parents of six children and are currently building a home in Ottumwa.
Empowering Community Wellness
As the Chief Executive Officer at River Hills Community Health Center, Joy has the responsibility of overseeing the organization’s overall operations and ensuring that it is meeting the healthcare needs of the community. One of Joy’s key priorities is to create new opportunities for people to learn about wellness and gain access to essential health services. She is also responsible for managing the organization’s finances, strategic planning, and ensuring that it is complying with all applicable laws and regulations.
In addition, Joy plays a critical role in navigating the ever-changing landscape of health insurance rules and regulations, which can be challenging to manage. Her leadership is essential in finding innovative ways to ensure that RHCHC can continue to provide high-quality care to the community, despite the obstacles that can arise in the healthcare industry.
With RHCHC serving over 22,000 people for care in the region and providing more than 82,000 patient visits in the previous year, Joy’s role as the CEO is crucial in ensuring that there are enough services to meet the care needs of the community. She works closely with the staff and healthcare providers to identify areas for improvement and implement new programs and services that align with the organization’s mission and values.
Commitment to Health Equity and Healthcare Leadership
Joy believes that the healthcare industry is constantly evolving and that healthcare leaders must have an insatiable quest for compassion, quality, and economic viability to succeed. She recognizes that the migration of citizens to coastal and metropolitan areas has created gaps in care for rural Americans, which is an issue that requires attention and action. Joy’s personal radar is focused on achieving health equity, which she considers a critical aspect of her work as a healthcare leader. She believes that all individuals should have access to high-quality healthcare services, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further emphasized the importance of healthcare and the critical role that healthcare providers and leaders play in ensuring that individuals receive the care they need. Joy’s experience of living through the pandemic in a healthcare career has only fueled her passion for wellness and caregiving, highlighting the need for continued improvement in the healthcare industry to provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality care to all.
Keeping up with Trends in the Healthcare Industry
Joy recognizes the importance of keeping up with trends in the healthcare industry. According to Joy, the trend toward prevention is crucial for healthcare delivery systems, as decades of research have shown that prevention can lead to significant cost savings. The concept of Value-Based Care (VBC) has also emerged as a trend in the industry, where providers or systems that keep people well financially benefit more. The trend toward healthcare careers is also gaining momentum, as the pandemic has increased the pay and performance of healthcare professionals.
However, the industry is also experiencing retirements and resignations at a faster rate than anticipated. Joy encourages those interested in a career in healthcare to explore the growing job market, as by 2026, 33% of all jobs are expected to be healthcare-related. As the CEO, Joy is committed to staying up-to-date with these trends and leveraging them to provide the best possible care for the community.
Encouraging Healthcare Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Joy would encourage future healthcare leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs to look for opportunities that solve healthcare problems or assist with the use of technology in healthcare. With the ongoing exodus of healthcare providers and the closure of hospitals in rural areas, there is a unique challenge of not having enough providers to perform well-planned visits with every potential patient. One example she gives is the use of wearable technology like the I-watch, which can detect cardiac malfunction and prevent accidents, strokes, or heart failure.
Joy believes that there will still be a need for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other healthcare professionals who can make informed decisions based on the information gathered to achieve desired health outcomes. She encourages future healthcare leaders and entrepreneurs to keep these trends in mind and explore innovative solutions to address healthcare challenges.
Empowering Communities through Comprehensive Healthcare Services
River Hills Community Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Clinic that was founded in 2000 by a community board in southeast Iowa. Its mission is to provide exceptional healthcare services to improve the health outcomes of its patients. With a vision to be the provider of choice for comprehensive healthcare in the community, River Hills CHC offers a range of medical services, including pediatrics, internal medicine, women’s health, dental care, and behavioral health care. The organization believes in treating the whole person and providing care at the lowest responsible cost. With 17 locations, they also provide enrollment services for insurance and use a sliding fee scale for uninsured patients. River Hills CHC is dedicated to connecting patients with community resources and support and arranging transportation as needed.
Embracing Technology to Enhance Patient Care
River Hills Community Health Center is keeping pace with the rapid technological advancements in the healthcare industry. The company is transitioning to EPIC, an electronic healthcare record and scheduling system that will facilitate the integration of the company’s services with those of other healthcare entities in Iowa. The introduction of this technology has enabled patients to schedule appointments, send messages, request medication refills, and ask their provider questions through a phone or computer portal. The company has also adopted telehealth appointments as an alternative way to deliver healthcare services to patients. River Hills recognizes the importance of technology in healthcare and is actively embracing it to ensure patients receive the highest quality of care in the most efficient way possible.
A Culture of Innovation and Celebration
The team at River Hills Community Health Center is described as innovative, progressive, and motivated by celebrations of success and new goals for improved healthcare visits. The company has an employee recognition program called “Above and Beyond” and celebrates birthdays and holiday events. The well-being of every team member is a priority, and this positivity is said to pass from one patient visit to the next throughout the day. The clinics at River Hills have received exemplary recognition from the Health Resources and Services Administration, placing them in the top 10% of all clinics in the US. Overall, the company seems to value its employees and prioritizes team building to provide exceptional healthcare services.
Strategies for Effective Work-Life Balance
Joy understands the challenge of maintaining a work-life balance as a working mother. She acknowledges that it is not an easy task, but she has developed strategies to manage it effectively. Joy uses the Eisenhower Matrix to determine the urgency and importance of tasks, which helps her, prioritize her work and focus on tasks that are critical to her role as CEO of River Hills Community Health Center.
She also employs a litmus test to assess decisions by asking herself whether they will matter in five years. This approach enables her to make informed decisions while also keeping things in perspective. In her personal life, Joy enjoys spending time with her children, friends, and family, participating in activities like lake and ocean outings. These activities provide her with opportunities to recharge and unwind from the demands of her work.
Quotes
“Living through a pandemic as a healthcare professional has only ignited my passion for promoting wellness and providing care to those in need.”
“We take pride in providing comprehensive care to individuals and ensuring that they receive the necessary treatment at a reasonable cost.”
“One of our key priorities is to create new avenues for individuals to learn about wellness and obtain vital healthcare services.”
