Marcy Doderer may be fairly new to her role as President and CEO of Arkansas Children’s Hospital (July marks her one-year anniversary), but she’s certainly no stranger to healthcare or to Little Rock, which she says is “home” to her. Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, Doderer’s family moved to Little Rock when she was a child and she graduated high school from Little Rock Central.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital was an important part of her childhood as well, as her father served at ACH as a cardiologist. During high school, Doderer volunteered at ACH and later came back for an internship under then-President and CEO Randall O’Donnell. It was that experience, she says, that helped her realize how much she would enjoy the business of running a hospital. “I had a desire to combine my interests in business and service, and found healthcare to be a dovetailing of those two things.”
After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in finance from Trinity University in San Antonio, and her master’s degree in hospital and health administration from the University of Iowa, Doderer set out on a course of progressive leadership in small and large hospitals, in both adult and pediatric settings. A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Doderer’s 20 years of experience includes leadership positions in healthcare systems in Dallas and Paris, Texas, followed by the position of vice president and associate administrator for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital. Most recently, she served as vice president and administrator of the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, which is part of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health Care.
At ACH, Doderer says she most enjoys the highly complex environment. “At the core, there’s a simple mission of trying to improve life for a child, and it is surrounded by huge, complex systems of business and clinical care and politics,” she says. “The complexity is something I find very attractive. It keeps me intrigued and challenged.”
Doderer has been married almost 24 years to Mark, who holds a Ph.D. in computer science and is a consultant and independent contractor. The couple has two daughters, Emily, 19, who is finishing her freshman year of college, and Katie, 16, who is in high school.
Katie has congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, and Doderer says she’s her role model. “The challenges she faces as a child with complex medical issues, and the way she faces those with grace and poise and a can-do spirit 99 percent of the time, is absolutely amazing to me,” Doderer says. “She gets through her days with a smile on her face. If she can do it, why can’t I?”
Doderer continues, “And it’s really because of her that I can push our own organization toward being something better. It’s very personal to me. Families come to us and place their most valuable asset in our hands every day — their children. That’s a huge responsibility for us that we should never accept lightly. I’ve had great role models in my career, as well. Other healthcare leaders who have taught me how to lead with integrity and purpose and with courage, and I try to emulate them in how I approach my own work. But Katie is absolutely my hero.”
A Heart for Service
Soirée: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Marcy Doderer: Though active and focused on wellness, I am still a major foodie. I absolutely love food of many, many varieties. There’s a saying, “There are two kinds of people in the world: those who eat in order to live and those who live in order to eat.” I absolutely fall in the category of living in order to eat. If that food is paired with good wine and dark chocolate, all the better. In our family, it’s always about the next meal. Someone is always asking, ‘What are we having for dinner?’ when we’re eating breakfast!
What are you currently reading?
At the moment, I’m in the middle of several books. I’m reading “And the Mountains Echoed,” which is the most recent book by Khaled Hosseini. I’m partway through Sam Walton’s autobiography, “Made in America.” The next business book on my list is called “Crash Course” and it’s about the demise of the American automobile industry. “The Panther” by Nelson DeMille is another one I recently read for fun. I love anything involving spies or political intrigue.
What type of music do you listen to?
My radio is often set to either NPR or country music. And I listen to all sorts of things in between. I can’t ever give up on George Strait as the ultimate country star. But I also really like Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and other more recent country artists. If my daughters are with me they encourage me to listen to more “modern types of music” that they like.
Where’s your favorite place on earth?
Of all the places I’ve traveled, I’ve found Scotland to be one of the most beautiful and welcoming countries. The people were gracious and friendly. And the sights were beyond compare — from historic to natural. I fell in love with Scotland.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Keep the patients in the center of the conversation and have their best interests at the heart of your decision. If you do this, you can’t go wrong. You may find a better solution with more time and context, but at the point of crisis or necessary intervention, this is the best algorithm for making the right decision.