WEST VIRGINIA WONDER WOMEN
THE HEALTH CARE HELPER
ACCOUNTING FOR EVERYTHING “Everything’s a big puzzle, with good people, good care, good outcomes, good fiscal responsibility. It’s a thing of beauty.” CRITICAL ACCESSIBILITY “It’s critical that rural communities have access to providers. If you look at Preston County: It’s a huge footprint of a county, but it’s got one hospital in it. Folks shouldn’t have to fly in a helicopter unless it’s critical care that they need. Folks should be able to walk out of their house, ride their bike, hop in a car, and see their doctor that they know and respect.”MY JAIMEE SZYMANSKI, NEW CUMBERLAND Speech-language pathologist and owner of Dynamic Dyslexia and Speech PROVIDINGWHAT IS NEEDED “I am from New Manchester, which is a pretty small town. In 2008, my younger sister was diagnosed with dyslexia, and my family immediately realized how few services there were to help her in West Virginia— and no place where others could go to get a diagnosis. I wanted to bring those services here, and in November of 2019, I did.” A FORCE FOR DYSLEXIA FIGHTING STEREOTYPES “Dyslexia affects 20 percent of the population, which is 1 in 5 people. It’s not a rare thing. It seems that way, however, because we don’t talk about it. People think if you have dyslexia, that you are less intelligent, or you’re difficult. That can’t be further from the case! People with dyslexia tend to be smart and creative, because they have to come up with ways to overcome day-to-day struggles.The kids I work with, they blow my mind constantly.” GIVING HOPE “I watched many classmates and close friends really struggle with dyslexia and with not having the means to afford help. My family was fortunate, but not everyone was. So I work with a lot of people at the state level to get different policies enacted.The Hope Scholarship is one of our newest, assisting families in paying for diagnosis, tutoring, and therapies.”DL
THE POLITICO KAYLA YOUNG, SOUTH CHARLESTON
AMY L. BUSH, MORGANTOWN COO of WVU Medicine Children’s hospital and board member of Children’s Home Society of West Virginia NURSING GOALS “In the sixth grade, I knew I wanted to become a nurse, as I always loved taking care of others. I’ve spent most of my nursing career working in the operating room and emergency department. I see myself as working alongside my team. As the chief operating officer, my job is to help remove barriers, empower people, and then get out of the way and let my team run.” VIPs “We have one chance to really have every single team member know, ‘If I’m not here today, our hospital and the care we deliver is not going to be the same, because my role is that important to our mission.’” LEGACIES “How many people would ever get the chance to build a new hospital? Or in my case, twice? I tell people every day, ‘We’re building a legacy for generations to come.’This is not about ourselves.This is about the kids, the families, for years to come.There’s just nothing better. People ask: ‘Well, how do you take care of kids?’ The kids are the heroes.The kids actually strengthen us because they’re so brave. And it just keeps first things first.”MY
Creator of Boss Babes WV, owner of Eggs Will Roll, and a District 35 delegate in the West Virginia House of Delegates BUSINESS AS USUAL “I started Boss Babes in 2018. I had two small children, and I was looking for a way for women to connect and do professional and personal development without sacrificing their family life. I also started Eggs Will Roll in 2018. I love food, and it was my dream to have a little food business. I ran for the House of Delegates two years later.” ONE OF THE FEW “I am one of only 13 female delegates in a house of 100, and I try to bring that different perspective. I hope it shows young women that they can get involved in politics and make a difference. I would love to see more women and moms getting involved. I want my kids to see me making change and know that they can do it—that they can use their voices, too.” HAPPY HERE “I think that West Virginia is so fantastic, and we don’t get a lot of positive attention. I left and lived around the world for about a decade and came back to raise my family and start a business, and I want other people to be able to do that. I want to make it easier for people to see that they can be happy here.” DL “ We’re all a product of somebody: My mother was wonderful, and my sister is wonderful, and my grandmother, and female mentors that I’ve had in my life.” LISA SIMON
THE ONE TO COUNT ON LISA SIMON, WHEELING
Treasurer and chief financial officer of Mon Health System and Mon Health Medical Center MAKING SENSE “I always enjoyed counting money. No lie, I was wee little, and I would track my coins and put a date on it, and from an early age, I just loved math. So my parents would always say, ‘You should be an accountant.’We’re all a product of somebody: My mother was wonderful, and my sister is wonderful, and my grandmother, and female mentors that I’ve had in my life.”
90 wvliving.com • fall 2021
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