"Anything Is Possible"

She's not afraid of a challenge and she loves to stay active. Patricia Henry of Kindred Healthcare tells us more about herself and her personal motto. Read more about this Most Admired Woman winner!


Today's Woman: What has been the most rewarding part of your career?
Patricia Henry: I liked that it always presented new challenges, and it was so rewarding to me to be able to bring other people along and show them that anything’s possible if you just put your mind to it. In the health care business, there are so many managers who, like me, didn’t go through business training but trained in how to be a nurse or a therapist, so I always try to provide a good example. I want to show them that they can do this too, and that being a good nurse or therapist is really important in being able to manage the clinical side of the business. When you keep your therapy teams and your nursing teams focused on doing the right things for the patients, you get the kind of good clinical outcomes that lead to those good financial results that companies are looking for.

TW: How did you balance the demands of your career while raising a family?
PH: I have a wonderfully supportive husband who was always very helpful in making sure things got held together. And my grandmother lived with us for about 10 years, which was a really great experience and helped a lot as the kids grew up. Having her with us meant there was always somebody there for the kids when they got home from school and made it easier for me to work and travel. And for her, being around the kids kept her young and pretty active for a long time. So it was really great for all of us.

TW: How do you relax?
PH: I try to keep a nice balance between the activities I have and try to stay active. After the kids grew up and left, my husband and I downsized and moved to a condominium close to downtown Dallas, so we like to get out and walk a lot. I also spend a lot of time helping my daughter with her twins, who are going to turn 3 this summer, and helping out with my son’s little girl, who’s about 10 months old now. Spending time with my grandchildren takes up a lot of my time, but I find it very relaxing, and it takes my mind off everything else. I consider myself very lucky to have them nearby.

TW: Do you have a personal motto?

PH: “Believe in yourself” –  it’s something that I’ve lived by over the years. It was always my mantra as I faced things in my career that made me think, ‘Wow, can I even do this?’ If you believe in yourself, anything’s possible.