Candace S. Smith, PhD, RN, NEA-BC

Each week the Cape Coral Breeze will feature a leader within the business community — public sector, private sector, or non-profit — asking a dozen questions that focus on the person and the business in which they hold a leadership role.

Bio:

Name: Candace S. Smith, PhD, RN, NEA-BC

Position: Vice President Operations, Chief Nurse Executive

Company or organization: Lee Health @ Cape Coral Hospital

Industry: Healthcare

Contact information: 239-424-2392

Address: 636 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral

Your business at as glance:

What you do: Serve and collaborate with healthcare staff and leaders to provide an exceptional quality and safe experience for our patients, families, loved ones and community, along with creating an excellent experience for our staff, leaders and providers that serve at Cape Coral Hospital.

Unique niche: Professor at State College of Florida.

Bragging rights: Led and developed a state-wide Alternatives to Opioids Program with a toolkit for organizations to use. Published an accreditation book and co-authored a book, “Healthcare Quality Management: A Case Study Approach,” and completed my doctoral degree in my 50s.

Where you see your business in five years: Expanding services throughout Cape Coral and Lee County to support population health and growth for the needs of our community.

About you:

Describe yourself in one word: Grateful

Hero, role model or mentor: My father

Person you’d most like to meet: Mahatma Gandhi

Book that changed your life: “The 8th Habit,” by Stephen R. Covey

Best business advice you’ve ever received: Change is constant and stay humble everyday.

Biggest risk you’ve ever taken: Evacuating a hospital during Hurricane Irma

Personal passion: Learning and giving

Guilty pleasure: Cupcakes