Page 19 - Cindy Salas Murphy San Diego Woman Magazine

Women of Distinction

out, but after this comment, “It was at these Executive phenomenal job and amazing in deep to make her dream
I considered it and started to Round Tables that we held organization to create my own. a reality. “They are truly
learn more about what that doing deep dive conversa- I knew this had to be a amazing people. They help
would involve. I found that tions into what was broken in scary move for Cindy. She whenever they can and drop
I needed additional educa- healthcare, and how we could was a single mom with two everything to support us emo-
tion. It generated so much improve it? It was a bipartisan young children at home. “I was tionally and logistically.”
excitement inside of me, and approach because Senator leaving a wonderfully paying Without a support system,
I decided that this was the Daschle was one of the authors job with benefits to take care there are so many women who
way to go. I moved to San
Diego, and I went to graduate
school at San Diego State and
received my Master's in Public
Health with a focus in Health-
care Administration. It was
exhilarating. Every class was
more exciting than the next.
In my second year, I was hired
to do my externship at Sharp.”
This kicked off Cindy’s 17-year
career at Sharp HealthCare. “I
started off doing my externship
and when I left Sharp, I was
the Director of Patient Opera-
tions for the Sharp Metropol-
itan Medical Campus, which
is Sharp, Mary Birch, Sharp
Memorial, Sharp Mesa Vista,
and The Outpatient Pavilion.
My time at Sharp was incredi-
bly rewarding. Not only was I a
part of the group that launched
‘The Sharp Experience’ in of the Affordable Care Act. He of my kids, and now I would are unable to accomplish the
2001, but also I had the oppor- and all the healthcare execu- not be taking an income for a wonderful things of which
tunity to shape the future of tives knew it wasn't working. while, but in my heart I knew they are capable. “In the early
the landscape for healthcare. So our focus was on how they it was the right thing to do days of WithHealth, I was on a
Where does someone go could make it work. It was af- and I knew I could do it. Quite trip with my CFO Mark, who I
with that kind of experience ter that cycle of meetings that I frankly, I didn't think that brought on board shortly after
and knowledge? “From there recall leaving New York, almost failure was an option.” I founded the company. We
I had my first startup expe- deflated, thinking that we were Cindy’s girls, 13-year-old were meeting with a potential
rience. It was a project with not in a good place in America. Audrey and 8-year-old Reagan, female investor, and she looked
Sharp HealthCare. Since I had We needed to fix this prob- were relatively young at the at me and said, ‘you travel so
a thorough understanding lem. I took out my notepad time. “They are amazing girls. much, how do you do it with
of the system, they decided I when I sat down in the plane, My 13-year-old is just brilliant your children?’ I looked at
would be the right one to help and I started writing what I and beautiful and has very her and I said, pointing at
shape the framework for this thought would be a solution to high emotional intelligence, Mark, ‘Well, the good news
startup. I was interviewed by the problem of access to care. and my little 8-year-old is just is I only have two children,
the private equity group, and Very quickly I realized that full of life and very expressive he has three’. In all the years
joined the team, remaining there was hope. I wrote out in her emotions. Having I have been working I have
there for five years. It truly was the business plan on that plane children like them makes for never heard a man be asked
a masterclass in starting a busi- ride home. When we landed a wonderful parenting expe- this very same question. There
ness. I started doing Executive the plane, I couldn't believe it rience because it allows me to is an implicit bias that exists
Round Tables. Former Senator because that was the moment really communicate with them for female founders and female
Tom Daschle was on my board when I put my pen down. I clearly and that makes for a entrepreneurs and it was at that
at the time, and he and I went knew this is what I needed to great relationship.” moment that I became keenly
around the U.S. meeting with do. I needed to create the solu- With an extremely sup- aware that it existed.“
hospital and health system tion. The year was 2017 when portive pair of loving parents, I asked Cindy to share
executives.” I founded WithHealth®. I left a Cindy was able to dig her heels her vision and tell us about

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