For Monique Butler, MD, her passion for medicine started when she was a child playing with her dolls—and regularly checking their vital signs. But when her late parents faced, and ultimately succumbed to, their own health challenges, Dr. Butler’s interest in medicine kicked into overdrive.
While she was by her mom’s side facing the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis and guiding her dad through the complications of diabetes, Dr. Butler saw and felt the dedication of the doctors and nurses fighting alongside her and her family at every step.
“As my first patients, my parents are my “why”. They set the standard for me that everyone needs and deserves great health care,” she said.
With this deep-seated passion for providing high quality care with heart, Dr. Butler now shapes and supports future doctors as the president of graduate medical education (GME) at HCA Healthcare in Nashville. HCA Healthcare is part of the AMA Health System Member Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
In this role, Dr. Butler is responsible for over 300 residency and fellowship programs at more than 80 teaching hospitals, serving more than 5,800 residents and fellows.
“We aim to recruit the brightest and best medical students, to train them to become compassionate and competent physicians and to retain them … so they’re able to take care of patients and families within the communities that we serve,” she said.
As a first-generation college graduate and the only doctor in her family, Dr. Butler knows firsthand how crucial a supportive, challenging and high-quality medical education is for future success.
“It’s an honor to be able to lead work where I'm able to serve physicians and help them build the foundations of their careers to become compassionate and competent as they go out in the world,” she said. “It's truly an opportunity to build a legacy, and I believe that my parents are very proud.”
Recently, Women We Admire, a publication focused on women leaders, recognized Dr. Butler’s efforts to grow the health care pipeline and influence the future of medicine as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Nashville. The honor recognizes women who are helping Nashville continue to evolve into an economic powerhouse across several industries, from healthcare to technology.
“It’s an honor to be on the list with such accomplished women,” she said. “Nashville is like the Silicon Valley of health care, with HCA Healthcare headquartered here and a big part of the industry’s growth. I am proud of all the work we have done to further health care in Nashville, and excited to be part of the next chapter.”
In an interview with the AMA, Dr. Butler shared her vision for graduate medical education, her leadership style and advice for medical students, residents, fellows and physicians.
AMA: Where do you see the future of graduate medical education at HCA Healthcare over the next five to 10 years?
Dr. Butler: HCA Healthcare’s graduate medical education programs started about 10 years ago and we’ve grown exponentially. It’s great to be the largest sponsor of graduate medical education and to grow, but it’s another to make sure that we are one of the best at providing it.
Currently we are at an inflection point where we’re not going to grow as much as we've grown over the last 10 years. Instead, we are growing strategically by diving deep into outcome-driven operational practices, clinical excellence, hospital integration and quality.
AMA: How does HCA Healthcare plan to make this shift?
Dr. Butler: We put together a strategic growth plan called the “Next Generation Impact Plan” that gives us a True North and a road map for the next 10 years for graduate medical education. There are five pillars to the plan. The first one is focusing on our people, making sure individuals are engaged, that they have a voice and that we're following through on their feedback.
The second is clinical excellence and ensuring that we are standardizing our curriculum, further developing our faculty and creating a learning environment that enhances growth and innovation. The third is strategic growth. The first 10 years we grew quickly, and now we want to increase our footprint in key specialties with a forecast for physician shortages like anesthesiology, pathology and radiology.
Next, we are going to focus on integrating our residents and fellows in our GME programs into our hospitals. Finally, the last pillar is focused on retaining as many of our physicians as we can within our hospital system. On day one, we want them to know that they matter and that their work matters. They are now members of the HCA Healthcare family, and they can build their entire careers here.
AMA: What were some key turning points in your career that led you to this leadership role?
Dr. Butler: I knew early on what I wanted to do, but when I saw a physician who looked like me in the community clinic where I grew up, that was a turning point.
Throughout my career I’ve been a chief resident, a chief medical officer and a chief operating officer. Matriculating into these leadership roles were all turning points in my career, where I was given tremendous responsibility in areas like strategy development, execution and operations, all of which have prepared me for this role.
A year and a half ago, I was asked to lead the graduate medical education program, which is our workforce development pipeline for physicians. To be able to lead this for all of HCA Healthcare with our leverage, size and ability to collaborate with all our 190 hospitals is truly an honor.
AMA: What progress have you seen support women in medicine and in health care leadership?
Dr. Butler: There has been a great deal of progress. My medical school class in Detroit was 50% women and 50% men. Today, the number of women is still getting higher, which is very encouraging.
But we still have a long way to go. I'd love to see more women in health care as senior level executives and CEOs. At HCA Healthcare, we work diligently to develop our people, and I've felt really privileged to have these opportunities.
AMA: What advice would you give to women who are early in their career and aspire to be leaders?
Dr. Butler: You need to start by knowing yourself and caring for yourself. Take an assessment of your strengths. I like the CliftonStrengths assessment. I did this after my chief resident year, and I came to understand my own strengths and areas of leadership opportunities—areas where I can improve as a leader.
Second, I would encourage them to have that “put me in coach” mentality. When I was in medical school, I went to every code blue when I had the opportunity so I could learn and help save a life, for example. Find committees you can participate in and contribute to and make a name for yourself. Sign up or raise your hand when a need arises, take the initiative to lead.
Finally, let people know about your goals. You will be surprised how doors will open when key leaders say your name in a room and suggest projects for you. They can help achieve your goals when they know what you want.
AMA: Why is mentorship so important as a leader?
Dr. Butler: I was once a mentee, and I enjoy spending time with the many mentees that I have. I love investing in their career journeys. I know that I've done well when they become mentors themselves. It’s a gift that just keeps on giving.
When I knew I wanted to become a physician, I had three women mentors with different backgrounds in my community in Detroit: a physician, an attorney and a corporate vice president. They all poured into me so much information. They coached me through very difficult life situations and helped me strategize on how to achieve my goals and how to be more self-aware. It’s an honor now for me to do that for others.
AMA: What legacy do you hope to leave both for residents and fellows you serve and for the broader health care community?
Dr. Butler: This is an opportunity to leave a huge legacy not just for the residents, but for the physician community as a whole. I was a resident, so I understand their journey. Right now, they’re learning, they're giving back, they're saving lives, they are pulled in many directions, but each moment is an investment in their own futures. Being able to help form their career journey is an opportunity for me to give back through my work, to live out my passion in my work, and help other doctors serve patients.
Love and compassion are at the heart of everything I do. If can leave a legacy of love that shows my commitment to ensuring that everyone has access to great care and compassionate physicians, then my mission is accomplished.
