Get to know Jody Reyes
A registered nurse by training with a military and extensive health care background, Jody Reyes' strong sense of mission, service to others, and focus on the patient guides her.
Jody Reyes, FACHE, MSBA, BSN, joined University of Iowa Health Care as the clinical enterprise’s chief operating officer (COO) at the end of June.
As COO, Reyes will oversee clinical operations, ancillary services, and related support functions at UI Health Care. Working with hospital leaders, department executive officers, and others, she will develop and monitor operational strategies that strengthen inpatient, outpatient, and surgical services within the clinical enterprise, which includes multiple medical campuses.
We asked her to share more about her background and what led her to UI Health Care. She also gave us a glimpse into her home life and her sense of mission and service.
Tell us more about yourself and your background.
As a registered nurse, my leadership path has been informed by experiences in academic medical centers and as a United States Naval officer. Most recently, I served as the senior vice president and COO at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Before that, I served as the interim COO at the University of Virginia Medical Center.
The lessons I learned as an oncology nurse and during my 2003 deployment to Iraq have very much informed my leadership philosophy. These experiences have shaped who I am as a leader and strengthened my sense of mission and service to others, as well as my commitment to keeping the patient at the center of everything.
What led you to this role at University of Iowa Health Care?
In my prior COO roles, I learned a lot about developing efficient and effective hospital operations teams and, most importantly, just how vital patient experience is across the care continuum. When looking at this opportunity at UI Health Care, I was immediately intrigued by the possibility of helping build out UI Health Care as a system with multiple hospital and clinic locations. I was intrigued by the sense of mission found at UI Health Care as the premier medical institution in the state, charged with serving the health care needs of all Iowans.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I am a values-driven leader whose “true north” is laser-focused on accountability, transparency, honesty, and team development.
As COO at UI Health Care, I am a conductor of a vast orchestra, to use an analogy. Each team, unique location, and population service line are different instruments, and my job is to optimally bring it all together efficiently and effectively, so the team creates beautiful music. In this case, beautiful music happens when it works best for patients. It is so inspiring to me.
Would you share more about having a sense of mission and how you convey that to your team?
When I think about a well-rounded life, my ability to positively impact others is critical. It is where I get so much of my energy and strength. That sense of mission and service to others is deeply ingrained in me, not just as a health care leader, but as a human being.
I see myself as a connector. I look for the connections between people, initiatives, and conversations—and then connect the dots. That is where I feel like I bring value—in my ability to connect people with people, people to ideas, and all of us to the mission. Yet, I still recognize I have so much to learn, and I benefit from leaning on my team.
What is your life like outside of work?
My husband and I have two beautiful children, Elena, 17, who just started her senior year of high school, and Simon, 15, who is a high school sophomore. Over this next school year, my family will remain in Pennsylvania so that Elena can finish high school and all the milestones that come with it. Next summer, my husband and son will relocate to Iowa, while Elena will be off to college. Our kids keep us busy, and we enjoy watching them in their high school activities and competitions. Despite the separation we will face over this next year, I hope to be engaged as much as possible.
We are also a big dog-loving family and have three of them. I plan to bring one of the dogs to keep me company here in Iowa, but my family is not overly excited about giving one up!
Beyond the kids and the dogs, I maintain a low-key life outside of work. I love listening to audiobooks and enjoy binge watching true crime shows on Netflix from time to time.