SHP employees provide for an often under served patient population each and every day. The dedication to this service to our company, their community, and our customer, can at time seem all consuming. SHP feels a great responsibility and need to help our employees find time for much deserved rest, play, and to spend with their family outside of work. In Haylee's role as Region Director she oversees more than 50 county jails within North Carolina and assists the medical teams and jail administration with daily operations for inmate medical care. As a director, she enjoys being involved with each and every staff member within the state and enjoys the opportunity to build strong working relationships with jail staff. Haylee knows it is an absolute necessity to take time to herself and create good work-life balance in order to continue her personal successes.
When asked the question, What does “balance” mean to you, and in what ways do you feel like you’ve achieved it?" Haylee replied,
"Balance to me, is the idea of spending just as much time away from my job responsibilities as I do actually working. I am blessed to have a strong team of region managers who directly oversee a specific set of jails, which helps with a balance between work and home life. I get to still spend time with my family, do activities with my children my dogs and I get “me” time when I need it."
The dedication to her home and life outside of her work with SHP isn't only made possible by the skillful juggling she can do personally but rather an effort of the entire North Carolina team. Each valued employee doing his or her part to work with Haylee in order to create a positive environment allowing for every employee to make time for themselves and their families outside of the hard work they achieve daily at their sites.
Hayley described this by saying," Teamwork really makes balance achievable. My family has been supportive for when I get a phone call at 8pm with a medical emergency at a facility. They understand that the medical field is unpredictable. And as mentioned previously, my region managers in NC are wonderful. If I need one of them to take call for me on a weekend, they assist. and I do the same for them when they need it as well to help the system work. In addition to my region managers, Southern Health Partners has corporate office members who are willing to jump in and help with issues, field calls or even be a sounding board if I am having a stressful day. They provide loads of support for me and can provide me with the tools I need to get things done."
As a working mother of two Haylee shared some of her difficulties during the recent pandemic. When the lock down left her children doing virtual learning from home, as Haylee recalled,
"It never failed, while I was on a call, one of my children would have technical difficulties with their laptop or need help with an assignment. It felt like there wasn’t enough of me to go around! My advice for other mamas out there would be: Remember that times like theses are not going to last forever. Women are strong! We handle things and multitask so much in any normal day, and that this “new normal” actually shows you that you are capable of doing more. Not only are we capable, but we are successful in doing so."
In her time at SHP, Haylee has worked her way up the nursing ladder while challenging herself and others to maintain work-life balance. Managing two children and over fifty jails and detention centers throughout the state of North Carolina is certainly a challenge but there are no limits to where Haylee can go. The past year of added challenges, have taught her a lot about her team, her family and her ability to manage and make a difference. There are absolutely times even Haylee feels the demands of being a nurse, a manager, a mother, a fiancé, and a friend. She knows the struggles and will support you through your own trying times, because she makes a choice each day to build up those nurses who are also on a journey to be the best they can be.
"I know how frustrating it can be trying to do 2 important things at once. Just remember why you are doing it. We are strong. We are driven. We are successful. This will pass, and you will be a stronger woman for it."