Chris Kaptur is a retiring Director at AdventHealth with over 50 years of work experience, starting her first business at age 12. She began her career as a critical care nurse and evolved through various leadership roles including infection control, patient safety, process improvement, and IT process architecture.
Chris Kaptur's approach to productivity centers on anticipation and systematic organization. She explains, "I anticipate... my mind is always going to what could happen. I try to always scan the environment to see to anticipate what could happen." This forward-thinking mindset helps her avoid the trap of procrastination, as she notes that urgent matters inevitably arise on Friday afternoons when Monday's tasks should have been completed earlier.
Her task management system is refreshingly simple yet effective. Chris maintains both physical and digital to-do lists, using paper and post-it notes alongside Outlook scheduling. "As soon as you accomplish something, that's the reward for me - that's positive feedback," she shares, treating productivity like a game where completed tasks provide immediate satisfaction. She keeps paper by her nightstand to capture middle-of-the-night thoughts and immediately schedules important items in Outlook as reminders.
For staying current in her field, Chris emphasizes the discipline of continuous learning that she developed during her 21 years at Detroit Medical Center's academic environment. She regularly reads newsletters from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, follows health IT publications, and consumes books by authors like Malcolm Gladwell. "There's tons of stuff out there whether it's a TED talk or just reading books," she notes. Her approach to professional development extends beyond formal learning - she recommends audiobooks during commutes as an efficient way to combine learning with necessary activities.
Chris's most profound advice centers on the reality that career advancement requires personal initiative and continuous self-improvement. When discussing her promotions, she emphasizes: "It's not just somebody handing you a promotion - you do have to earn that right... there's a lot of work you have to do on your own." She attributes her success to being "very self-directed" and "always out there hungry... wanting to learn more, wanting to take on more responsibility."
Perhaps most importantly, Chris shares the wisdom that comes with age and experience about accepting human imperfection. "We're all human, so we all do make mistakes," she reflects. "That's the difference between being in your 30s and being in your 60s - because you finally figured that out... if God wanted me to be perfect, he would have made me that way in the first place." She advocates for owning up to mistakes and learning from them, even when it's painful.
Throughout the interview, Chris emphasizes the importance of relationships and collaboration in career success. "I like that relationship component of work... I like learning from someone and I like teaching or coaching someone because we all get something from the relationship." Her 56-year work journey, from starting a babysitting business at age 12 to retiring as a director, demonstrates that consistent effort, continuous learning, and genuine care for others create a foundation for both professional success and personal fulfillment.
"It's not just somebody handing you a promotion you do have to earn that right... I was always out there hungry learned wanting to learn more wanting to take on more responsibility."
— Chris Kaptur Chris explains what made her successful in getting promotions throughout her career.
"If god wanted me to be perfect he would have made me that way in the first place... I have to accept that i'm a human being and i make mistakes and own up to them and learn from them as painful as it is."
— Chris Kaptur Chris shares wisdom about accepting imperfection and learning from mistakes that comes with age and experience.
"I've always had that discipline of reading literature always learning learning learning learning and so i think that's what helps a person grow too."
— Chris Kaptur Chris describes the importance of continuous learning throughout her career, stemming from her academic medical background.
[0:03] this interview you will meet with chris [0:05] she is one of the most humble person i [0:07] have ever met [0:08] at the age of 12 she has her own [0:10] babysitting business her lifelong [0:12] experience will be an inspiration for [0:14] anyone who is trying to achieve [0:16] excellence in their career without any [0:19] further delay let me introduce you to [0:22] chris [0:27] you're retiring [0:29] and [0:30] how does it feel [0:33] um [0:34] there's a lot of different emotions [0:38] yeah i've been feeling i think online [0:40] you know as [0:42] when i first turned in my notice that i [0:44] would be retiring six weeks ago [0:47] i pushed off a lot of [0:49] you know it was like oh it's far away i [0:51] don't have to think about it [0:53] um [0:55] but now that it's i'm i'm one day [0:59] i have a mix of [1:02] excitement [1:03] sadness [1:06] scared [1:07] you know because i'll be living on a [1:09] fixed income [1:12] even though i have a retirement you [1:15] still [1:15] you're not making the same amount of [1:17] money as you [1:19] work [1:20] and then [1:21] um [1:23] scared that [1:24] you know i feel like what i do [1:27] makes a difference [1:29] and that um [1:31] it makes me feel like i'm contributing [1:34] and then you start thinking well what am [1:36] i going to do when i retire [1:38] how am i gonna stay relevant [1:41] um are my friends gonna remember me that [1:43] i [1:44] all the you know friendships i've made [1:47] you're gonna do monday [1:48] i'm gonna still sleep in without an [1:51] alarm clock [1:54] that'll feel nice [1:58] um and people that i have actually [2:01] talked to [2:03] um [2:04] especially like people that i know that [2:06] are retired at a younger age [2:09] they um [2:11] they find at the six month mark [2:15] where they're they're bored [2:17] and that's where they start looking at [2:20] seriously what to do and i so i have a [2:23] friend that did retire [2:25] and um now she's working part-time [2:29] she just could not stand just not doing [2:32] anything [2:34] her husband has a business and so he did [2:36] give her little things to do but [2:38] um yeah she she went back to work [2:41] part-time [2:46] what are you gonna miss most i think [2:48] it's problem solving i love [2:51] you know [2:52] i love taking something [2:54] um and [2:55] trying to fix it you know that's why i i [2:59] loved being a process architect [3:01] and so that push for quality [3:04] um making things better that's [3:07] that's what i that's what helped drive [3:09] me [3:10] um is always wanting to make something [3:13] better [3:14] i'll miss that [3:16] you've been director i and i don't know [3:19] how long you've been in this role [3:25] well i've been a director at advent [3:27] health a couple twice [3:29] okay so when i first came um jamie [3:32] bassler hired me [3:34] um and it was when she was the director [3:38] of quality at central florida division [3:41] south [3:42] and um she needed an infection control [3:45] manager [3:46] okay [3:47] and then [3:48] through my time [3:50] being in her being my leader [3:53] she gave me more and more responsibility [3:55] so [3:56] she gave me patient safety and then i [3:58] became a director [4:01] and then i ended up having process [4:03] improvement [4:05] um [4:06] so then i became an executive director [4:09] but um my mother's health was failing my [4:14] daughter was a junior in high school [4:16] getting ready to be a senior [4:18] and it was really hard working 14 15 [4:21] hour days [4:24] and then have all that responsibility [4:27] and when there was an opening in i.t [4:31] under linda terrell as a process [4:34] architect [4:35] i just thought that was the best [4:39] position for me [4:41] where i could handle more you know i [4:43] could take care of my family [4:45] myself i t for [4:47] 11 years [4:49] and then a couple of years ago i was [4:51] promoted [4:52] to i was a senior manager when i moved [4:54] over to it and then um i was promoted a [4:58] couple years ago [5:01] for it here at in [5:04] ait [5:10] what do you think worked for you [5:13] to to get that [5:15] two promotions [5:17] um i had a great mentor and coach janie [5:21] was [5:22] you know [5:23] she was great to work for [5:25] and always gave me these growth [5:27] opportunities now a lot [5:30] you know and she'll she'll she always [5:32] reminds me of this a lot is because of [5:34] me right i'm a very self-directed person [5:38] i'm very driven [5:40] um i came from a background when i moved [5:44] um from detroit i worked at the detroit [5:46] medical center [5:48] and that is a [5:50] academic [5:53] facility [5:54] and so when you're raised in that kind [5:55] of environment i spent 21 years of my [5:58] life there [5:59] research is always [6:01] you know that's fundamental [6:03] in an academic organization and so i've [6:05] always had that discipline [6:08] of you know reading literature [6:12] always learning learning learning [6:14] learning and so i think that's what [6:16] helps [6:17] a person grow too it's not just somebody [6:20] handing you a promotion [6:22] you do have to earn that [6:24] right [6:25] and i think that's what janie saw in me [6:28] is that i was always out there [6:30] hungry [6:31] learned wanting to learn more wanting to [6:34] take on more responsibility [6:36] um [6:37] and so that's how i [6:39] was able to get promoted and you but you [6:42] do have to [6:44] there's a lot of work you have to do on [6:46] your own [6:50] do you think that [6:52] you being a manager and you being a [6:54] director what's the biggest difference [6:59] i would say [7:00] that [7:02] in some ways you're you're in more [7:04] meetings and you [7:06] you do [7:09] suffer a little [7:10] in that you don't have as much personal [7:13] interactive action with your team [7:16] as a director as a director yeah [7:20] i think that you you get to make more [7:22] decisions as a director but you also [7:24] have [7:25] to be [7:28] a lot [7:29] careful in your decision making you have [7:31] to make sure you're weighing everything [7:34] that you're looking at it from a [7:38] high level and you're collecting all of [7:41] the information you can so you can make [7:43] a good decision [7:45] because you need to understand the [7:46] impact of your decision [7:48] right [7:53] and what you do to be organized in your [7:55] day-to-day life [7:57] i anticipate i just my mind is always [8:00] going to what could happen i try to [8:03] always scan the environment to see to [8:06] anticipate what could happen [8:09] always you have to make sure that you [8:12] don't put something don't procrastinate [8:14] because [8:15] something like that's going to come on a [8:16] friday afternoon and things that you [8:19] should get done for monday aren't going [8:21] to get done [8:22] [Laughter] [8:24] and how did you conquer that [8:27] i just [8:28] in my head it could again it's a game [8:30] because [8:32] you have a list of what you have to do [8:34] and [8:34] as soon as you accomplish something [8:37] that's the reward for me that's positive [8:39] feedback [8:41] i got something done and do you make a [8:44] physical list or i do i do i do [8:47] on what computer or paper or what paper [8:50] a post [8:51] okay [8:52] i do both [8:53] yeah [8:55] it doesn't matter i mean sometimes i'll [8:57] wake up in the middle of the night and [8:58] say oh my god i i think of something and [9:01] i you know that i forgot and i'll i'll [9:03] write it down i keep paper at [9:05] my on my nightstand but i'll be at home [9:09] while i'm here i can i always put it [9:11] what i try to do is i take something and [9:14] i say i have to remember to do this and [9:16] i make it as a i schedule an outlook [9:19] just to to work on [9:26] what did you do to keep you up-to-date [9:29] on knowledge related to your work [9:32] as well as [9:33] knowledge related to managing people or [9:36] self-improvement skills [9:38] well i i read a lot so and then i'm i'm [9:41] also i get a lot of newsletters so [9:45] i would read any you know anything from [9:48] the institute care improvement [9:51] arc has a [9:53] health i.t site [9:55] so read some of the articles from there [9:59] and i think i got that discipline from [10:02] my infection control [10:04] background when i was from detroit [10:06] because [10:07] my boss at the time when i was first [10:09] hired she was an ex-nun [10:12] she who had two master's degrees [10:15] and she was very much into [10:18] you know learning and research [10:21] she always gave us all an article to [10:23] read and so again it's that discipline [10:27] and of [10:28] going out there and reading there's tons [10:31] of stuff out there [10:33] whether it's a ted talk [10:35] or it's on a [10:37] white website or just even reading books [10:43] malcolm gladwell's a perfect example [10:45] tipping point right he he's right you [10:48] know he's written a lot of books but [10:50] there's a lot of books out there to read [10:52] and so [10:54] that's part of your personal growth so [10:58] and you read the physical book or [10:59] audiobook or or kindle book [11:02] i like physical books [11:04] but i love having my hands on a book [11:08] any tip on how to make yourself read [11:12] book [11:13] well laurie does lloyd kaiser she does [11:15] audio books [11:17] so when she gets in the car you know she [11:20] turns those on so that's one way that [11:22] you're driving and learning at the same [11:24] time [11:26] my other thing that i listen to that [11:28] helps keep me [11:30] focused and calm is i listen to 88.3 the [11:35] z [11:37] so [11:37] i love that station and i love the music [11:40] because it's very positive [11:43] and very you know faith-centered [11:51] you started working at 12 [11:53] yeah i'm the eldest of five children [11:57] okay so what was your first job then [12:00] i had my own babysitting business [12:03] babysitting business okay [12:06] at least five used to be able to buy my [12:08] own school clothes [12:10] winter winter coats [12:12] shoes [12:14] my parents didn't have to worry about [12:16] taking care of me [12:17] and then when i was 15 i got a job in a [12:20] flower shop [12:23] okay so yeah i've always always worked [12:26] first job at 12 then on 15 use it you [12:29] you get a job at the flower shop share [12:31] your growth journey then you know in [12:33] high school [12:35] i got [12:36] our high school had a program with the [12:38] local hospital bulma william beaumont [12:41] hospital royal oak and it was a um [12:44] a program where a nursing aid so i got [12:47] to as a co-op program so we got to learn [12:49] how to [12:51] be a nurse assistant [12:52] um [12:53] so i did that in my senior year and then [12:56] from there then i worked for the [12:58] hospital at bulma hospital and then [13:00] that's when i decided well i was [13:03] enrolled in pre-med but i really decided [13:06] that nursing was better for me as a [13:09] person [13:11] um and so then i went to nursing school [13:15] and then from there i i that was my [13:18] career [13:19] you started with that path nursing [13:22] and then [13:24] you end up retiring [13:26] as the director [13:29] of society [13:31] that's because nursing can i mean [13:34] it's a very broad it's a great great [13:37] profession [13:38] so you but there's avenues that you can [13:41] branch off to as a nurse so [13:44] i started in critical care so i did you [13:48] know nursing [13:50] for you know [13:52] probably a good [13:54] 10 [13:55] 12 years [13:57] and then from there i went to [14:00] infection control epidemiology [14:04] um and i did that for probably 10 years [14:08] and then [14:09] i got tired of it being cold in michigan [14:13] and moved down here [14:15] and that's how i i [14:17] started working at [14:19] at you know in florida hospital was [14:22] infectious control and from there [14:24] patient safety [14:26] process improvement [14:28] and really i t what the process [14:32] architect role is about process [14:34] improvement so [14:36] yeah [14:41] that [14:42] what else could you have done or is this [14:44] the right choice or oh [14:47] now i always feel that god directed my [14:50] path [14:52] um he even directed my path down here [14:55] and no i every night i thank him for [14:59] for for directing my path and and having [15:04] opened up my ears to hear [15:06] because i [15:08] i have had such a rich [15:11] professional career [15:13] i really [15:15] you know i i could have because i did [15:17] work from i went from critical care to [15:19] the or and [15:22] the recovery room i could have gone to [15:24] um crn crna school i could have been a [15:28] nurse anesthetist but and and and some [15:31] of the uh some of my colleagues tried to [15:33] get me to go there but it just was not [15:36] again why would i want to put people to [15:38] sleep for a living i like to talk to [15:41] people [15:43] i don't want somebody sleeping [15:46] so it just was [15:48] just things that um [15:50] i you know i did have opportunities up [15:52] there after i left the recovery room one [15:54] of my the or director said hey i i need [15:57] a pre-op um testing center can you open [16:00] that up and you know i i did that [16:04] so when an opportunity presented itself [16:07] and i really looked at it [16:09] i had to answer there was a gut check [16:13] a heart check that i had to make [16:15] and and again i i truly believe god [16:18] guided me [16:23] how to be [16:25] so organized not making any mistake [16:28] making sure [16:30] you're [16:31] we're all human so we all do make [16:33] mistakes and and and that's i think the [16:36] difference between being [16:38] in your 30s and being in your 60s [16:41] because you finally figured that out [16:43] that [16:44] well wait a minute if god wanted me to [16:47] be perfect he would have made me that [16:49] way in the first place [16:51] and so he didn't [16:53] so i have to accept that i'm a human [16:55] being and i make mistakes [16:57] and own up to them [16:59] and learn from them as painful as it is [17:03] and then being organized i think because [17:06] i was a nurse i was a critical care [17:08] nurse that's just [17:10] a skill that [17:12] i probably had but really got honed [17:15] uh being a nurse you have to be [17:18] organized [17:25] pretty much a very open person pretty [17:28] transparent [17:30] and basically i i like people [17:33] and i believe very strongly and [17:35] passionately in people [17:39] what does that mean [17:41] for you [17:43] it just means i like that [17:45] relationship component of work [17:48] i like [17:49] being able to collaborate [17:51] i like learning from someone and i like [17:54] teaching or coaching someone because you [17:57] know i think we all get something from [17:59] the relationship [18:01] chris i don't know you realizing this or [18:03] not but you already have given so much [18:06] wisdom [18:07] in this mission [18:11] well that's good i'm glad that i you [18:14] know because again i've learned all this [18:15] stuff through my life right i'm i'm 68 [18:18] years old i've been working since i was [18:20] 12. so you you know your life experience [18:24] always grows grows growth [18:27] i'm really happy that i i spoke to her [18:30] before last day i asked all these [18:32] questions because i learned myself and [18:35] i'm pretty sure that other people [18:37] whoever watched this video [18:39] will learn a lot from hercules that she [18:41] has done to keep herself up to date with [18:45] the knowledge or [18:48] different jobs that she has done the gut [18:50] check part was amazing one of the things [18:52] that she said everything happens for a [18:54] reason and god [18:56] guided [18:57] her life when she was talking about her [19:00] promotion she's a self-directed person [19:04] it's not that somebody gonna hand over [19:06] you a promotion you have to work harder [19:08] for that you have to earn it there's a [19:10] lot of work you have to do on your own [19:13] to earn it [19:15] i really hope you enjoyed this interview [19:17] and i hope many people will [19:20] be inspired from her journey thank you
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