At Inspira Health, a focus on community brings great success

Jaymica Patel, MD, FACFM, Chief Medical Officer, Inspira Medical Centers Mullica Hill and Mannington, and Health Center Woodbury

When Jaymica Patel, MD, talks about caring for her community, she is not taking poetic license. She grew up in South Jersey and trained as a medical resident at the former Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury. Even before graduating from medical school, Dr. Patel spent time at the hospital with her father, who worked in the X-ray department, and served as junior volunteer.

“I really grew up in the hospital,” says Dr. Patel. “I trained and started my career here. Now I am raising my family here in the community.”

“From my earliest days as a medical resident, the most important part of my job has always been caring for my community, with a focus on safety and quality. It’s what guides and energizes me every day.”

Dr. Patel’s journey from volunteer to Chief Medical Officer at Inspira Health has been filled with many accomplishments and she has distinguished herself by meeting each new challenge head on. 

As a young physician, fresh out of training, she was asked to start a hospitalist program at Underwood. Hospitalists are physicians who work in hospitals, managing and coordinating a patient’s care from admission to discharge, in collaboration with other specialists.

“It was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse that became a turning point in my career,” recalls Dr. Patel. “I loved inpatient medicine and  I recognized I could still develop relationships with patients and their families – only now, in the hospital.”

As the program’s first hospitalist, Dr. Patel had to gain the trust of the medical staff. Over time, the program grew and was embraced. Currently the program provides 24/7 care for most of the hospitalized adult patients.

In 2012, Dr. Patel played a pivotal role in the transition of Underwood, a long-time independent hospital, into Inspira Health, a system with multiple hospitals and outpatient centers across South Jersey.  Over the next several years, Dr. Patel continued to build trust and partnerships with the doctors, nurses, and support teams to enhance the work she had already started. This allowed her to be an instrumental leader in 2019 when inpatient care transitioned from Inspira Woodbury to Inspira’s new hospital in Mullica Hill.

“Not many people have the opportunity to play a role in opening a new hospital,” she says. “Ensuring patient safety and continuity of care during the transition was a highlight of my career.” 

Just three months after the move, Dr. Patel was faced by a challenge that would change the world – COVID-19. Amidst the fear, grief and uncertainty, she found herself managing inpatient care, testing and safety protocols, all while being forced to make heart-wrenching decisions aimed at keeping everyone safe. “Those were some of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make.”

The leadership, courage and relationship building she demonstrated during the pandemic, made it clear she was ready for a new role. In 2022, she was named Chief Medical Officer, serving as the liaison between Inspira’s leadership team and medical staff.

The importance of relationships is a recurring theme throughout Dr. Patel’s career. Many of the doctors and nurses she met while volunteering and during residency training were still working when she joined the medical staff. And many physicians and staff she worked with as a hospitalist remain colleagues today. She believes those relationships, and ones she continues to build, help her grow and advance as a clinician and administrator.

As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Patel remains committed to placing the well-being of patients and their families at the center of everything Inspira does. She strives to make access to care easier, while breaking down barriers to ensure patients receive the care they require. 

 “Navigating health care can be challenging. I am committed to making it easier for patients to access care within our communities.

It all comes back to caring – caring for her community.

inspirahealthnetwork.org