Leader spotlight: Cassy Leach, APP

Cassy began her career with Asante over 13 years ago. Since then she has held multiple leadership roles including ED charge nurse, clinical coordinator, house supervisor, ambulatory quality manager, and most recently the director of Ambulatory Quality and Nursing.

Why did you decide to join Asante? I grew up in Southern Oregon and have always respected Asante as an organization. I moved to the Midwest for nursing school and couldn’t wait to get back to my family and the West Coast. Returning to Southern Oregon to work for Asante felt like coming home.

Where have you worked at Asante? I began as a floor nurse at ATRMC and quickly transferred to the Emergency Department. There I worked as an ED nurse, charge nurse, clinical coordinator and house supervisor. I made the transition to APP in 2014 and became one of the first RN care managers. I then joined the Quality Department in 2017, as the ambulatory quality manager, and became the director of Ambulatory Quality and Nursing in August 2019.

What’s special about APP? Honestly, the people. APP has experienced rapid growth and change since its origination seven years ago. The resilience and commitment to our patients that I observe from our staff and leadership is admirable. I am proud to be a part of APP.

How do you define leadership and what is your leadership philosophy? I do not believe there is one right definition or type of leadership. For me, I believe in leading the team the way it needs to be led. This will vary based on cultural, situational and individual contributions. I tend to lean more toward being a collaborative leader, as I meet my employees where they are and work with them individually to manage them up. I also feel it’s important to align staff with the work and tasks at hand. I believe the most important thing a leader can do is to be clear on expectations, create accountability, and foster a healthy and positive culture.

As a child, what did you see yourself doing when you grew up? For a long time I was bound and determined to be a mermaid … until I found out they weren’t real. My family still makes fun of me to this day. In high school I was very passionate about social justice and wanted to pursue a career as a social worker.

CASSY LEACH

Education

• Bachelor’s degree: Nursing
• Master’s degrees: Nursing, health care administration

Family

• Children Elijah and Gracie; furry family members include cats and my dog, Mildred Bailey