Latest / Becker’s Healthcare Podcast / Chaplain Leadership, Bioethics, and Inclusive Care with Rev. Inetta A. Reddell

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Chaplain Leadership, Bioethics, and Inclusive Care with Rev. Inetta A. Reddell · Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

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Every year, Becker's annual meeting brings health care
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leaders together to unpack the most pressing issues
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facing the industry.
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And every year, those conversations shift in profound
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and unexpected ways.
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This April, more than 3,500
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healthcare executives will return to Chicago for Becker's
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sixteenth annual meeting. Seven ninety five elite speakers
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will offer new lessons, new case studies, and
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predictions about what comes next.
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Join us April 13 through the sixteenth.
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For the agenda and event details, visit beckershospitalreview.com
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and click on the events tab in the
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upper right.
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This is Scott Becker with the Becker's Health
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Care Podcast.
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We are thrilled today to be joined by
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a very special guest. We're joined today by
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someone who's had this fascinating career,
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at the intersection of pastoral care and health
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care and more. We're joined by reverend Inetta
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Riddell,
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and reverend Riddell
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serves as the pastoral care coordinator
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at Charterhouse Mayo Clinic Retirement Living.
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Another thing before we get started that you
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should know about reverend Riddell
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is she was the first woman of color
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to serve as the president
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of the Association of Professional Chaplains
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in its eighty year plus history when she
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started to serve as president.
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And and she'll talk to us today about
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some of the challenges
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she's faced,
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what the APC does,
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some advice for emerging leaders, and and a
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lot more.
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Reverend Riddell, can you take a moment to
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introduce yourself?
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Yes. My name is
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Reverend Aynetta
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Angelilio Riddell.
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I am currently
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the
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pastoral
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coordinator
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for
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Charterhouse
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at Mayo Clinic's
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Retirement
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Living,
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and I am the former president
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of APC.
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And I want to state upfront that my
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views are not those of my employers
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or APC,
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but solely
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my own.
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Reverend Rodell,
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thank you again for joining us. Can you
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take a moment to tell us about
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what motivated you to take a leadership role
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within the Association of Professional Chaplains,
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and how has your background shaped your approach
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and thoughts about leadership?
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What motivated me to pursue leadership
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within my role of APC and how it
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has
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shaped my background,
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was stemmed from a desire to amplify
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diverse voices and perspectives
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within our organization.
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You know, growing up
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as a woman of color, I faced challenges
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that
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I'm sure many
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others can relate to,
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which instilled
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in me a sense of resilience
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and
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a commitment
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to inclusivity.
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I believe that
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leadership is not just about
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guiding others, but also
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about
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creating an environment
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where
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everyone
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feels valued and heard.
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You know, by
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drawing on my experiences,
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I aim to foster a culture
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of collaboration
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and innovation,
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ensuring that
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we address
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all the needs of our members and the
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communities that we serve.
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As I reflect, especially thinking through this month,
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being that it's Black History Month, I can't
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help but to think that I was also
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driven by a sense of legacy and purpose,
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specifically
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influenced by the history of the civil rights
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movement
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and the resilience of those who came before
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me. You know, I once
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went to a joint
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conference,
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thrown by ACPE
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and,
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REM
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and APC.
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I
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kinda touched on this,
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during my presidential
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speak speech during the APC conference,
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where I saw so many people that looked
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like me,
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and I was hooked from the word go.
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They were my heroes.
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The collective
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wisdom
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in that room was so inspect inspirational.
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It encouraged me to pursue leadership,
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foster
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unity, and empathy across racial
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and cultural boundaries.
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My background in bioethics,
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legal studies, and theology
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provides, I think,
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a multidisciplinary
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lens
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that emphasizes
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the sanctity of human rights
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and spirit.
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And
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for me,
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I think I approach leadership with an open
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heart acknowledging
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diverse perspectives when
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they conflict with my own.
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Thank you. And could you take a moment?
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Tell us a little bit about the Association
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of Professional Chaplains.
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Tell us a bit about that, and and
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then I wanna ask you a little bit
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about
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a
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a specific
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challenge
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that you faced during your tenure or during
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being a chaplain
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and how you overcame
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that
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challenge. But tell us a bit about the
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APC, the Association of Professional Chaplains, because because
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many people in the health care podcast may
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not be as familiar.
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So the Association
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of Professional Chaplains is an organization
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that supports
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chaplains
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in various sectors
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that comes from various
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denominations,
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people from
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various sectors,
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and we certify
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chaplains
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once they get their training from various,
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organization.
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And one of the significant
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challenges that I encountered
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was navigating
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the complexities
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of change management
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while implementing new initiatives
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aimed
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at increasing diversity
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within our organization.
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Resistance
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often arises
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when people feel threatened
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by change.
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And to overcome this,
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I prioritize
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transparent communication,
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actively seeking
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input from stakeholders
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at all levels. APC has strategic partners,
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being the Association
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of Jewish Chaplains,
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National Association of Catholic Chaplains, the Canadian Chaplains,
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etcetera.
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And
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I held open forums and
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discussed concerns and shared data that
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highlighted
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the benefits of diversity.
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You know, by building trust and demonstrating
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the positive
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impacts of
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these initiatives,
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we were able to move forward collaboratively,
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resulting in a more
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inclusive APC that reflects the communities that we
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serve,
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cultural biases,
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and direct
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objections
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from individuals who don't support
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women,
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especially
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women of color
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in leadership roles,
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encountered
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a trend of
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what I experienced
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of discounting,
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dismissive,
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and demeaning decorum
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in professional environments
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where
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colleagues
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often
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lack basic
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acknowledgment of one another.
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How I overcame
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this
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rudeness
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by
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was by focusing
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on radical
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self care
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and
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creative
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expression.
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And
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it be the question for me,
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who takes care
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of the chaplain
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and
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the educator
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as I was
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navigating
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my own
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personal
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issues.
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And so I turned
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to music,
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fashion, and dance
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because that was my outlet.
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And to maintain my mental health and resilience,
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I
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leaned and countered
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professional
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dismissiveness
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by advocating dignity,
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respect,
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and sensibility,
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refusing to let other biases
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diminish
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my personal narrative.
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And one thing that I will say about
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APC
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is that there are some fine
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individuals within that organization.
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And what makes,
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APC so unique is that it is a
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very
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diverse,
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organization,
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meaning
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that it is interfaith.
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And that and that's absolutely fantastic. I I
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I love that that it's interfaith. That's such
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an important thing today to have these interfaith
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dialogues.
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So important, so incredible what you do.
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Reverend, what advice would you give to aspiring
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leaders,
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particularly women of color who are trying to
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carve out their paths
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in in in in fields? But what advice
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do you give to emerging leaders?
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My advice
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to aspiring leaders, especially women of color, is
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to embrace your unique identity and perspectives
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as strengths rather
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than obstacles,
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you know, to make sure
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you always, always, always have authentic presence.
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You know, if you are going to be
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an emerging leader, you have to fully be
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present and not judgmental,
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rejecting
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the modern tendency to use technology as a
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shield
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from
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genuine human interaction.
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Surround yourself with mentors and
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allies who are going to uplift you and
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provide guidance.
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It's essential
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to cultivate
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a strong network and seek opportunities
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for professional development.
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I encourage
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aspiring
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leaders to roll their sleeves up and walk
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alongside people in both joy and sorrow,
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Using obstacles as opportunity
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to offer support rather than retreating from conflict.
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Use every opportunity
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to build community
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when you can.
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That's where
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learning, I think, is fostered. I cannot emphasize
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the importance of solidarity
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using platforms like social media
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to inspire others
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and bolster a sense of shared journey.
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Additionally,
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don't shy away from speaking up and advocating
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for yourself.
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Your voice matters and can pave the way
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for others.
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Do not allow your unique stories
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or identities to be devalued
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by others. And finally,
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remember that leadership
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is a journey
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filled with learning
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experiences.
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Be open to feedback,
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adapt when necessary,
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and stay true to your values as you
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navigate your path. Your contributions
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are invaluable,
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and the world needs your leadership now more
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than ever.
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Thank you. And how do you envision the
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leadership
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going forward
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and and of the Association of Professional Chaplains
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and and
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where can that have impact?
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Well,
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I feel that a future where technology is
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not used as a shield to hide behind,
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but where leaders prioritize
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genuine human connection,
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Scott, is our future
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leaders must prepare by cultivating space
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in their ministries for others,
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focusing
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on active listening and the rejection
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of evasive
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or
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complacent
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professional cultures.
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Drawing from my bioethical
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background, I view the future of chaplaincy
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as a noble calling
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that must integrate empathy
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with
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ethical theories to make a tangible impact on
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lives.
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Reverend, it is such a pleasure to visit
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with you today on the Becker's Healthcare podcast.
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Just a remarkable background
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and and and leadership career.
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Thank you so much for taking the time
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to visit with us today.
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And thank you so much for having me.