Profile of a Leader: Jan Gannon, RN, MSN, DeKalb Medical
Job: Vice president, Patient Care Services, and chief nursing officer, DeKalb Medical in Decatur.
Family: Husband, Frank; children, Brad, Grant and Kathryn; granddaughter, Mary Isabel; and pugs, MJ and Unagi.
What makes a good leader?
“Good leaders have many qualities that most of us could name. Great leaders have servants’ hearts and understand that they are a resource to those they serve — particularly those who have the privilege of providing patient care.”
What are you most proud of in your career?
“The great Patient Care Services leadership teams that I have had the pleasure of working with in my career as a nurse administrator. We work together with a common goal of providing quality care in a consistent and safe manner. Their dedication and passion for what they do inspire me on a daily basis.”
Who has inspired or mentored you?
“I have had so many inspirations along the way — nursing instructors, nursing colleagues. Two that come to mind are my first VP of nursing, Linda Burdette, who believed that I could be an effective manager before I did and gave me the opportunity while supporting me in the role. The other was a chief operating officer who convinced and coached me in public speaking — something I had never felt comfortable doing and now have no problem with!”
What’s your favorite thing to do away from work?
“Traveling. My husband and I recently visited Alaska for two weeks; it was amazing!”
Who’s your favorite fictional nurse? Why?
“I love the nurses in the TV series ‘M*A*S*H’ — particularly Maj. Houlihan. It shows them as human, with all of their weaknesses, but ready to snap into action on a moment’s notice when their skills are needed and lives are at stake.”
What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?
“I would give up Coke floats to go shoe shopping!”
Tell us something that nobody at work knows about you:
“I was the drum major of my high school band for three years, and [I] play piano and oboe.”
