Linda Carroll, CMPE, is a seasoned medical manager with more than two decades of experience in orthopedic surgery and maternal fetal medicine. Carroll is also a co-facilitator of the MGMA AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Healthcare Leaders Resource Group.
In her conversation with Member Spotlight podcast host Daniel Williams, she shares her unique perspective on healthcare delivery in Alaska, the challenges and rewards of leading in a rural setting, and the significance of culturally inclusive leadership and peer support.
From med flights and telehealth innovation to cross-cultural communication and mentorship, Carroll’s insights shed light on how healthcare leaders can foster stronger communities, both within their organizations and across MGMA’s member network.
Innovating Healthcare in Remote Alaska
With her roots in Anchorage, Alaska, Linda Carroll offers a firsthand look at the distinct challenges of healthcare delivery in one of the most remote U.S. states. While urban healthcare leaders may focus on optimizing systems within densely populated areas, Carroll’s environment demands a different level of creativity and resilience.
Limited infrastructure in rural Alaska, especially in areas with unreliable internet connectivity, made implementing telehealth challenging in the early 2010s.
“They still had dial-up internet,” Carroll recalls. “We didn’t have the satellites that we do now … Getting any sort of internet, especially some sort of video capability, was very, very difficult.”
To overcome these barriers, Carroll and her colleagues relied heavily on med flights to transport patients from isolated villages to Anchorage for specialty care.
“In Alaska, I think, [we] probably make more use of med flights than some other states,” she notes. “Getting someone who lives in a village of 200 people with very limited resources to the care that they need requires a little bit more.”
The Power of a Close-Knit Medical Community
Working in Alaska also fosters deep collaboration among healthcare professionals. “It really takes [specialists] communicating and working together when they’re working on getting someone from a rural site to Anchorage,” Carroll emphasizes. “Making sure that then we have all of the care that they need kind of lined up … basically ready to go.”
Her work in both large hospital settings and small private practices has given her a broad perspective on what makes healthcare delivery successful — particularly when navigating geographic and resource constraints.
Elevating AAPI Leaders Through MGMA Resource Groups
Beyond her clinical and administrative work, Carroll is a passionate advocate for increasing representation and community for AAPI healthcare professionals. She serves as a co-facilitator for MGMA’s AAPI Healthcare Leaders Resource Group.
“When the Leaders Conference was approaching, they put a call out for volunteers … and I thought this was just a great way to volunteer, be involved,” Carroll says.
The group offers a safe and inclusive space for Asian American and Pacific Islander professionals in healthcare management. “We talked about … having the safe space, people with similar backgrounds and things where we could connect,” she notes. “It was really great to get together with a group of individuals and talk about some of our shared experiences.”
Representation in Non-Clinical Leadership
One of the key themes Carroll and others in the group have discussed is the limited visibility of AAPI professionals in administrative leadership.
“We see a lot of people that fall into that [AAPI] demographic more on the hands-on clinical side, and we didn’t see a lot on the business administrative side … the management side,” she highlights.
Through these discussions, the group has identified ways to provide support and mentorship for rising AAPI professionals:
- Engage in AAPI Resource Groups: Join or facilitate groups like MGMA’s AAPI Healthcare Leaders Resource Group to create safe spaces for connection, mentorship, and shared learning.
- Promote Representation in Leadership: Encourage and guide AAPI professionals toward non-clinical leadership roles by sharing your career path and highlighting administrative opportunities.
- Model Culturally Competent Leadership: Demonstrate how cultural understanding enhances patient care and team communication, and mentor others in applying these principles.
- Foster Inclusive Conversations: Create opportunities for open dialogue about cultural identity, workplace challenges, and leadership growth in a supportive environment.
- Share Career Stories and Insights: Offer real-world experiences, lessons learned, and actionable advice to help rising professionals navigate their own leadership journeys.
Culturally Informed Care and Communication
Another topic the group tackles is how cultural background influences patient care. This cultural empathy enhances not only patient experience but also strengthens the practice as a whole.
“When a patient feels like they have somebody else there that really can empathize with them, I think it helps overall, just with their comfort level,” Carroll highlights.
Communication Strategies for Healthcare Leaders
Looking ahead to the next AAPI resource group meeting on July 15th, Carroll and co-facilitator Deepha Bilaji, MD will be discussing communication strategies tailored to specific audiences.
“You have to tailor your conversation to your audience, right?” Carroll says. “So I could say the same thing … if I want to talk about patient relationships, how I talk to physicians about that is different [from] how I talk to staff about that.”
Each facilitator will take a distinct angle — with Carroll addressing communication with physicians and Bilaji focusing on staff interactions. “We’re super excited,” she says. “We’re looking forward to being able to offer some additional support for anybody that wants to come and join the group.”
Building Momentum and Looking Ahead
The AAPI Healthcare Leaders Resource Group currently meets quarterly, however discussions are underway about increasing frequency based on interest and engagement.
As MGMA continues to support leadership development and inclusion through these resource groups, Carroll’s story offers a model for how to bridge geographic isolation, cultural understanding, and professional collaboration in ways that strengthen the entire healthcare community.
Resources:
- MGMA Member Resource Groups Live
- MGMA AAPI Resource Group Live: Tuesday, July 15th at 12:00 PM ET – Register Here
- Crying in H Mart: A Memoir, by Michelle Zauner – Purchase on Amazon
