Bill Klaproth (Host): This is a special podcast recorded onsite at SHSMD Connections, 2023 annual conference in Chicago, as we talk with keynote speakers, session leaders, and award winners too, direct from the show floor. I'm your host Bill Klaproth. With me is Sarah Murlin, Marketing Manager at Reed Health. And we're going to talk to Sarah about her being named a SHSMD Rising Star Awardee. I love it. Sarah, welcome.

Sarah Murlin: Well, thanks for having me, Bill.

Host: Yeah, you bet. Congrats on being an awardee.

Sarah Murlin: Thank you. I appreciate that.

Host: It's quite an honor. For sure. So what does it mean to you to be a Rising Star Awardee?

Sarah Murlin: I just feel absolutely honored to be considered for this award among so many talented people. I am just on a list with incredible talent from all over the country. It's absolutely amazing. Such an opportunity to connect and learn from others. And I just really consider myself lucky.

Host: Well, that's really good. Uh, I love how you say that, but obviously you're doing something right. So people are noticing. Great job on that. So our theme for SHSMD week is shaping the future. So I'm going to ask you a couple of questions here. How are you shaping the future within your own career?

Sarah Murlin: Within my own career, I think it's constantly being a student of the industry. Things are changing so fast. There's constantly new needs. I mean, we're coming off of just a world shattering pandemic that we couldn't have anticipated or planned for it, or study in advanced for, or be able to create a strategy to get through it. We had to learn as we go. But really that just needs to be applied to everything we're doing. We don't always know what we're going to face. It takes agility. It takes just being constantly open to new ideas and concepts and I think once you continue to have an open mind, once you continue to learn from others, people who are leaders in the industry; then it really just helps you develop plans and strategies to move yourself and your organization forward.

Host: Yeah, well, that certainly has worked for you. You talked about being open to new ideas and having agility and having an open mind. So that makes sense. So let's talk about your organization, Reed Health. How are you shaping Reed Health?

Sarah Murlin: I think one of the things that I do is try to build connections from department to department. So if there's departments who don't naturally work together every day. Marketing tends to be the conduit. We tend to be the central unifying factor there, because one department might know what they do every day. Another department might know their day-to-day operation, but they're not talking to each other. The cool thing about marketing is that we know across the organization what's happening and we can make connections across different service lines that might not exist, different operating groups. So it's really great to be able to find ways that efficiencies can be created.

Host: So within your position, you are a marketing conduit, basically, you said. You're a connector.

Sarah Murlin: Yes.

Host: Building relationships, building connections.

Sarah Murlin: Yeah. And it's one thing to do that internally, but when you can take that external to our organization, to a patient who ultimately benefits from that, that's, what's really meaningful. When we make those connections internally, and then we are creating those efficiencies, ultimately we're impacting patient experience and marketing gets to tell that story, which is yet again, another incredible honor. So being able to connect with patients in that way is just, I would say that is the cherry on top of what I get to do. I love it.

Host: Yeah. So are you a connector by nature or is this a skill that you had to learn?

Sarah Murlin: I would say I'm a connector by nature. I like being able to find commonalities or even ways that one person could benefit from another, mutually beneficial relationships. I just feel that that's one way to progress. It's one way again, to shape the future.

Host: Yeah.

Sarah Murlin: It's definitely a way to impact the future by looking outside of the box. Doing things differently that somebody might not have thought of before. So, I think naturally I'm just prone to creating connections because I see when we work together, there's just so much more benefit and impact than when we operate independently.

Host: Yeah. So let's talk about more connections while we're at SHSMD Connections. How are you helping to shape SHSMD beyond?

Sarah Murlin: So I am ready to go all in with SHSMD. I want to volunteer. I want to, you know.

Host: You're all in. You're already all in. Let's do it.

Sarah Murlin: I'm just initiating, establishing really strong partnerships while I'm here. The fact that there's people from all different kinds of systems from across the US, I think this is just a place to step outside of your comfort zone. Have those conversations with other people who might be working on similar projects as you, or developing new strategies. It's just one way to the thought leadership, learning from other people and then seeing what you can take back and apply at home.

Host: Yep. Absolutely. I think that's very, very well said and you're a connector. So this, you must feel really at home here at SHSMD Connections, 2023.

Sarah Murlin: I do.

Host: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I love that. So what is your advice for any up and coming rising stars? How can someone get to where you've gotten?

Sarah Murlin: Wow. I would say one thing that I can recommend is take the risk, put yourself out there. Step outside of what you consider your comfort zone. Stretching and growing sometimes doesn't feel comfortable. But what's beyond that, it's just absolutely amazing. And I would just say, if there's ever a doubt, what you are capable of, what you bring to the table; just know that you're there for a reason. Somebody saw some strengths in you that you can really bring to your organization, to SHSMD, to peers. Just to so many people. Lean on that, step into it and see what happens.

Host: I love that. So take the risk. Stretching and growing can be hard, but it really is something you need to do. Do you see yourself then as a mentor, trying to help bring people up the ladder as well? Trying to introduce and connect other people?

Sarah Murlin: I would share hope so. have the opportunity to lead an amazing team and what I found that is most impactful about leadership is not being at any kind of position; it's the impact in growing up other folks to be leaders as well. And I just think that that's something that has the most benefit than anything of all. Not just being a leader yourself, but growing up other people to find that skill in them as well.

Host: Absolutely. And I'm sure that you've had mentors as well. People that have helped you.

Sarah Murlin: Absolutely. My director, who I report to, she has been by my side for 10 plus years. And one of the main reasons I'm where I am right now. She saw the potential in me, grew me up. Um, helped me refine and shape those skills. So I hope to be that for somebody someday, too.

Host: Well, I know that you will, for sure. Well, congratulations again, Sarah, this is great.

Sarah Murlin: Thank you. I appreciate that.

Host: Absolutely. And as a reminder, SHSMD week is November 12th through the 18th and the theme for SHSMD week, is shaping the future. Once again, that Sarah Murlin. And sign up for the SHSMD Connections, virtual conference. It's October 20th, 2023 plus on demand through the end of the year. The virtual conference will feature access to 50 plus sessions recorded from the September in-person conference. The one we're at right now, plus all new live sessions. All you have to do is go to shsmd.org/annual to learn more and to get registered. And please join us at SHSMD Connections, 2024. It's next October in Denver, Colorado. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and to access our full podcast library for other topics of interest to you. Visit SHSMD.org/podcasts. And as always, thanks for listening.