Chief operating officer (COO) of American Mission Hospital, Julia Maria Tovey thrives on a challenge. She chats to Behnaz Sanjana about her journey to the coveted top table in a traditionally male bastion.
Julia Tovey started her career in London’s teaching hospitals, including at the well-known Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. She went on to further study and specialise in neonatal intensive care and cardiothoracic nursing, which primarily deals with the high-level care required for those on by-pass machines.
Having completed the neonatal-paediatric flight training programme in Houston, Texas, covering the transportation of sick children by air, she worked with Saudi Aramco’s hospital to set up its flight team – a first for the GCC – spending 15 years there before moving to Bahrain. In the interim, Julia earned a Master’s degree in business administration, underwent a risk manager’s course from Florida University as well as completing a course on the management of healthcare delivery at Harvard University. Along with an advanced flight physiology course at the Royal Airforce in Cranfield, UK, she has a total of 14 years of training under her belt.
She says: “I felt I had something to give to the nursing profession, knowing in my heart that I wanted to work with children. The joy you feel when tiny babies, who are just starting out with life, are able to go home, is immeasurable.”
Her extensive training laid the groundwork for her to reach the pinnacle she has attained today. As COO of American Mission Hospital (AMH) for the past seven years, she says: “Nine divisions, including support services, nursing, quality control, marketing and the community department, report directly to me. I also oversee the operations of the ambulatory care centres of AMH in Riffa, Saar and Amwaj.
Her journey has brought her to a momentous achievement – becoming the first woman COO in the AMH’s 120-year history. She says: “It makes me proud that I can make a difference here and happy that the organisation and the CEO have the trust in me, thanks to me being very quality driven. I believe every patient should have access to high quality, affordable healthcare in a safe and risk-free environment.”
Did she encounter resistance on assuming this role? “Of course! People thought: one; she’s a nurse, and two; she’s a woman! There had always been a man in this seat. I knew I was under the microscope and my success was being speculated upon. Trying to implement change is always a challenge; that’s human nature. But it’s what keeps me going. Also, my nursing background gives me a broader spectrum of understanding how things work right at the frontline”.
Julia remembers the clinical part of nursing as her first love. She says: “After 30 years in healthcare, I felt I’ve got so much to share, give back and contribute. AMH is a not-for-profit organsaition and I feel very passionate about doing good for the community
in Bahrain.”
This year, Julia and her community outreach team are focusing on children with special needs. “A hospital can be an unfamiliar environment for kids with autism or Down’s Syndrome,” she explains. “So rather than them coming to us, we take the care to them and their families. We also render our honorary services to the many labour camps in the country.”
Another area she has driven forward is subsidising medical services for the less well-off. She says: “Our vision is to be the best non-government hospital providing affordable healthcare for everybody. A significant portion of our revenue goes towards helping patients who can’t afford to pay for treatment. AMH runs a free clinic for labourers every Friday. Over four years, we’ve provided free care to nearly 4,000 patients.”
She has also been instrumental in bringing about positive change in the hospital’s operations – something she puts down to her people skills and perseverance. Her message to aspiring young women is: “If you’re passionate about what you do, then just go for your goals. Working your way from the bottom up helps you to make better executive decisions on a managerial level. There will be obstacles along the way, but don’t ever give up at the first hurdle.”
