New IU Health Saxony leader grateful for her team

By Emma Avila, epackard1@iuhealth.org, writer for IU Health’s Indianapolis Suburban Region

Elizabeth Grimes, the new practice manager for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at IU Health Saxony, is focused on boosting team morale and ensuring her team feels appreciated.

Elizabeth Grimes wants to make sure her new team feels appreciated.

She has officially been the practice manager for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at IU Health Saxony for two weeks, but she has been interim in the role since May.

Healthcare has been her passion for a while now, but she got interested in the administrative side of the industry while in school.

“Many moons ago, I was actually on the pre-med track in undergrad,” she says. “I started taking public and environmental affairs classes. I found myself drawn to those classes.”

In her new role, Grimes is focused on team morale and making sure team members feel appreciated for the hard work they put in every day to provide the best care for patients.

Each year, IU Health Physicians recognizes Team Member Appreciation Week from August 19 to 24. For her team, Grimes set up a full week of activities, including things like a take-home spa kit and a cupcake creation station.

“My goal is to thank each and every one of our team members for the hard work they do to best serve our orthopedics patients,” she explains. “A lot of our patients are coming in with pain and mobility challenges. The attentiveness and how personable the team members are, I don’t think that should go unnoticed.”

Beyond Team Member Appreciation Week, Grimes made it a point to get to know each team member’s role in an effort to support them better. One of her first priorities when she accepted the interim role was to shadow team members in each area of the department.

Through those experiences and day-to-day operations, she has become more and more impressed with the team.

“It’s definitely an engaged group,” she says. “I think recognizing the hard work this team does is important.”