Kasia Sweeney, LSM’16 “Best Class Ever!”

You’re probably familiar with the saying, “if you want something done, ask a busy person.”  If that’s the case, Kasia Sweeney must get asked to do a lot.  Yet, somehow, she seems to find time to do it all.  Sweeney is a people-person.  She values the opportunity to connect with those around her – coworkers, patients at the hospital where she works, and members of the community.  Through these interactions, both at work and through volunteering, Sweeney strives to better understand the needs of people and her community and make improvements in any way she can.

Sweeney, LSM Class of 2016, is vice president, strategy and business development for Calvert Health System.  In that role, she facilitates the development, planning, and execution of the health system’s strategic plan.  “At Calvert, everyone plays a role in continually moving the organization forward – I’m just in charge of helping bring all the ideas and information together in an actionable way,” Sweeney explained.

Sweeney wears a number of metaphorical hats at CalvertHealth.  In addition to fulfilling the duties associated with her title, she oversees the oncology service line which recently added a lung cancer screening program and is currently focused on expanding services for patients diagnosed with prostate, bladder and kidney cancers.  “The oncology team is exceptional and working closely with them is a real bright spot in my day,” Sweeney said.  She also oversees the guest services and patient advocacy programs, a task she enjoys as it allows her to connect with patients and ensure that their needs and expectations are met or exceeded.

Sweeney is engaged in a lot of community outreach through her job.  She collaborates with the hospital foundation to raise funds for important community healthcare services, particularly oncology.  In fact, she has helped raise more than $500,000 for cancer care at CalvertHealth.  But her community engagement doesn’t start and stop at the hospital’s doors.  Sweeney is also involved in her children’s activities. She currently serves on the advisory council for their school, Our Lady Star of the Sea School in Solomons, and has coached both youth soccer and basketball.  “If I’m not at work, you will usually find me jumping in to volunteer or help with whatever activities my kids are interested in,” she said.  Sweeney recently joined the Economic Development Advisory Commission for Calvert County as well, an experience that has allowed her to interact with new people and broaden her knowledge of local businesses and county programs that she hadn’t engaged with previously.

Maintaining and creating new connections is key for Sweeney; and she believes it’s one of the most valuable things she gained from her LSM experience.  “I’ve lived in Calvert for 18 years and worked at CalvertHealth for 17, but on a normal day, I am so busy just trying to keep up with the changes and challenges of the healthcare industry that I don’t always pay as much attention to other industries as I should,” she explained.  She continued, “LSM really helped open my eyes to many other dimensions of our community and introduced me to people whose paths I may not have otherwise crossed in my professional life.  It also deepened my desire to have an impact on my community by exposing me to new community needs and new opportunities to make a difference.”