Meet the West Health Accelerator Team: Alexander J. McGillivray, MEd, PMP
Alex McGillivray is a program manager for the West Health Accelerator at Mass General Brigham, overseeing the West Health Champions Program, clinical pathways, nursing strategy and implementation.
Q&A
Why are you passionate about improving care for older adults?
Alex McGillivray: My mother and stepfather are both nurses at Mass General Hospital, my father was a paramedic for Boston EMS, my stepbrother is a physical therapist, and my brother is finishing his final year in residency as a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. I see the incredible work my family members do every day for patients, and always wanted to be a part of an organization that would allow me to have a similar impact.
I discovered my passion and skill set in managing projects and programs, and realized I could leverage those to be a part of the healthcare workforce as an administrator. After witnessing my mother and stepfather care for their parents through their end of life, I felt called to find a position that had a larger impact on patient care. The West Health Accelerator at Mass General Brigham feels like it came into my life at the perfect time, and its mission resonates deeply with me.
How would you describe the Accelerator’s mission?
AMG: I think the easiest way to describe what the West Health Accelerator at Mass General Brigham is doing is that we are making it easier for hospital systems to provide the best possible care for older adults. We are accomplishing this by implementing proven care team interventions into our hospital system, reinforcing those interventions through a variety of training and education programs and materials at each hospital, and creating older adult-specific evaluation and measurement systems to inform care decisions, track outcomes and drive continuous improvement.
What gives you hope for the future of senior care?
AMG: My colleagues are truly some of the smartest and most driven professionals I have ever worked with. I feel a great sense of hope that our work will result in a care model that my parents will someday benefit from. That hope fills me with purpose every day to ensure that our work results in the change we are seeking to implement.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
AMG: I just finished a three-year run as one of the drum set players in the band for Blue Man Group Boston! Being a professional musician has informed almost everything about my role on the Accelerator: working together in a team, leading people, being adaptable, synthesizing and incorporating feedback and keeping calm when the unpredictable happens. I also love everything Star Wars and Marvel, and I love to read books that teach me new things.