Catherine Codispoti ’03 had her future charted out when she arrived at Wofford.
She was going to earn a degree in biology then go to medical school to become a pediatric surgeon. She was well on her way as she started her junior year and landed an internship at Milliken & Co.
As part of the internship, she took the Hermann Brain Dominance test, a behavioral profile that determines how people think. The result was like a strong wind that blew her onto a different course.
“I got the results, and it said my personality was not well-matched for being a pediatric surgeon,” says Codispoti, now executive vice president and chief people officer at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. “However, it said I had a really unique personality and that I was well-matched to be a senior executive. It was a game-changer for me. I made a total pivot.”
Instead of medical school, Codispoti headed off to the University of Oklahoma to earn a master’s degree in health administration. She says the liberal arts education she received at Wofford made the transition to a new career path easier.
Codispoti joined Children’s National in 2019. She’s part of the leadership team of one of the top-10 pediatric hospitals in the country. The hospital employs about 9,000 people.
Codispoti’s work at Children’s National has attracted attention. Women We Admire recently named her to its list of the top 100 women leaders in medicine of 2021. The list recognizes industry leaders who are guiding healthcare delivery, leading changes and enhancing policy improvements nationwide.
Not long after joining Children’s National, Codispoti gave birth to her third child. The COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to explode.
“Working in my role as chief people officer during a pandemic has been a humbling experience,” she says. “I’m honored to be in a position to support our employees, both clinical and administrative, so they can be their best selves when they’re at work, and in particular, the bedside.”
Although she didn’t become a surgeon, Codispoti is still in the business of caring for people. One of her top priorities is workforce resilience, wellness and burnout.
“Burnout is not new to healthcare,” she says. “But what we are currently experiencing is very different. It’s a very different level than healthcare has ever experienced.”
Codispoti also is passionate about helping women in leadership. She’s a founding member of the D.C. chapter of Chief, a national network of about 4,000 women in high-level executive roles. Its mission is to support and grow the number of women in senior executive positions.
“The whole purpose of this group is to lift up women,” Codispoti says. “It’s nice to meet other women who are similarly situated because it can feel a bit lonely. It’s great to have that network.”