By Lois Thomson, South Florida Hospital News, for ACHE of South Florida

After joining ACHE (American College of Healthcare Executives) three years ago, Rocio Diaz is now on the board as a member at large, and she couldn’t be happier. “I don’t (work on) a specific committee, which makes it great for me because I’m able to learn from and contribute to the different committees and initiatives.”

The healthcare landscape has become increasingly complex, making collaboration among all stakeholders – clinicians, administrators, healthcare systems and practices, health plans, advocacy, and community-based organizations – more essential than ever. As the saying goes, “It takes a village” to tackle challenges like improving outcomes, advancing health equity, and enhancing access and affordability.

Women’s health is another passion for Diaz and is something she’d like to focus on this year, saying that women account for half of humanity, yet women’s health has not been historically prioritized. “Women frequently serve as caregivers and primary healthcare decision-makers for their families, often putting others’ needs before their own. I’m really passionate about how can we together address the gaps in care and advance women-centered healthcare.”

In her everyday position, Diaz works as Director of the Florida and Puerto Rico Healthcare market for Genentech, a biotechnology company, and has been with them for 18 years. She said when she began her career, “healthcare was not on my list”; she started in business consulting in the consumer goods industry, and was on her way to getting her MBA when life took a turn: it was her godmother (and paternal aunt), who introduced her to healthcare.

“She had cancer and was actually on a clinical trial treatment led by Genentech. I could see how the treatment, the care she was getting from her doctor and her health system, allowed her to visit family in Peru and celebrate special holidays with our family in California. She made me decide to focus on healthcare.”

Now, Diaz is responsible for developing local commercial strategies for the Florida and Puerto Rico markets, leading a team that executes those strategies. In addition, she manages the business-to-business relationships with executives from regional health plans, academic centers, health systems, and community organizations, with the purpose of identifying solutions where all need to collaborate. “That’s what makes me so passionate about ACHE, because it has a great mix of all the different stakeholders.”

At Genentech, Diaz said the work is focused on local health care markets to align with the way health care is delivered today, and at ACHE of South Florida, she learned valuable insight into the real challenges our local community face. Another reason for her enthusiasm for the organization comes from the fact that she values the importance of leaning on and helping others. “I moved to this country from Peru more than 23 years ago, and community has always been a core value for me. Since my family is far away, I consider those in my community my extended family. I deeply value being part of a group of people who are passionate about helping each other. That sense of connection and inclusion is exactly what I found in ACHE.”

Diaz pointed out that when she first learned about ACHE, her first thought was that it was just for healthcare executives who work at health systems. “After attending various local ACHE events I realized it benefits all stakeholders in our healthcare ecosystem.” She wants to encourage those who are passionate about healthcare to get involved with ACHE.

She also expressed how much energy she derives from working with those who are directly or indirectly impacting patients’ care. “I love that so much, and being part of ACHE has allowed me to work closely with leaders committed to grow professionally and work together to serve the South Florida community.”