COASTE | SUMMER 2014

TAKE FIVE “I’ll probably be crying tears of joy.” By John Sprecher

Kathy Bridge-Liles is Chief Administrative Officer of Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Ostensibly, she is the flag bearer most responsible for the successful, medically-caring future of more than 200,000 children who currently live in the six-county Southwest Florida area that Children’s Hospital serves. But CAO of a watershed project isn’t necessarily what Ms. Bridges-Liles set out to accomplish in her career. Born of a working class family in Philadelphia with five brothers, Kathy seemed called to her career by age 7 — when she declared she wanted to be a pediatric nurse. Twenty-three years, mentors later and college degrees later, Kathy Bridge-Liles parlayed her move to Southwest Florida in 1990 to obstetrics nurse (see 7-year-old dream), but dared to accomplish more — earning both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees to develop new and innovative pediatric care programs with Lee Memorial Health System and Children’s Hospital. Today, Ms. Bridges-Liles is truly a rock star of Southwest Florida — helping to make Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida not a whim, or a dream, but reality — and in doing so, improving the lives (and quality of life) of everyone who lives here and loves a child. Each month, COASTE’S “Take Five” asks five questions of a community leader that have not been shared in advance. Today, Kathy Bridge-Liles tells us the how, the why and the triumphs of advancing Southwest Florida’s scope of health care for children.

38

Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker