Jodi Conachen’s childhood career goal was simple: “I wanted to matter.”
Though her aspirations changed over the years while growing up in Baton Rouge, Conachen says her core focus was always the same. “I wanted to do something that was substantive,” she says, “something that had value to the community.”
In her role as chief operating officer of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Conachen is doing just that. She is one of Business Report’s nine 2024 Influential Women in Business honorees.
She recalls a phone call she had with a patient who was struggling with insurance and scheduling issues—things that are critical for anyone recently diagnosed with cancer.
“She had gotten bounced around by some other providers, but we were able to get her in with one of our physicians very quickly and then work to help get her insurance on board,” Conachen says. “She was able to start treatment within two or three days of that phone call. Now she is in a position to have a very successful outcome.”
Read the full story, and check out features of this year’s other WIB honorees.
