2008 Most Influential Women Honoree: Cheryl L. Fitch

“Health care is just an interesting field to be in, and home health care has grown so much in the past 11 years,” says Fitch, vice president of government and community relations at Oxford HealthCare. “It’s been a wonderful transition, and I’m very happy I made that change.”

It has been 11 years since Fitch left her job as vice president and senior trust officer at Springfield Trust Co.

The switching of gears to Oxford HealthCare didn’t come completely out of the blue, however; in the trust and estate business, bankers work with other professionals in their clients’ lives, including home health agencies, Fitch said.

In fact, that’s how she got involved with the Southwest Missouri Office on Aging, where she’s an advisory board member.

At Oxford HealthCare, Fitch works with legislators and manages physician relations and community-education programs within the company’s 93-county coverage area.

“Everybody thinks this is just a service for the elderly. They’d probably be amazed,” Fitch says, noting that patients of all ages are cared for through Oxford HealthCare.

Her proudest professional accomplishment so far is her work to successfully introduce the State Telemonitoring Project to the 2003 Missouri legislature. That project led to a pilot project to reduce emergency room visits by Medicaid patients, and the program has been funded by the state since 2004. Nurses remotely monitor parameters set by doctors – such as vital signs and oxygen saturation – to determine if patients are doing well or need more care.

This kind of technology saves money by catching problems early and reducing the need for emergency-room visits while addressing the challenges of nursing shortages and far-flung patients, Fitch says.

“We have one of the largest (such programs) in the state. We are known nationally and internationally for this,” Fitch says, adding that professionals from England have traveled to Missouri to learn more about how Oxford uses the technology.

As part of her work on the telemonitoring project, Fitch helped establish a network of competing home health care providers around the state to provide electronic monitoring.

“With Oxford HealthCare as the hub for nursing supervision, the network providers are working together as a team to enhance the quality of life for patients and reduce unnecessary Medicaid costs,” she says.

Outside of her legislative and volunteer work, Fitch co-hosts a regional weekly radio show, “Boomer News & Views,” on KWTO 560 AM, providing baby boomers with information about a wide variety of topics through guest professionals. She's also president of the Missouri Council for In Home Services.

Name an influential woman, living or dead, you’d like to meet. Why?

Sarah Palin, Republican vice-presidential candidate. I would like to put on my jeans and flip-flops and have a heart-to-heart with Sarah about how she has managed to have a successful marriage, raise five children and remain grounded.

What advice do you have for young women just getting started professionally?

Listen. Learn everything you can about your profession from the smallest detail up. Question everything. Always trust your own intuition, and give credit where and when it is due.

As a young girl, what were your career aspirations?

I wanted to be an airline stewardess. Unfortunately, I had a cousin who was a pilot and told my mom she should discourage that.

What celebrity have others compared you to, or do you identify with?

I would like to say people confuse me and Catherine Zeta-Jones all the time. But luckily for her, they do not.

Tell us about your family.

I am married to my best friend, Jim D. Fitch. We have six children: Chris and Jan, Tony and Sheryl, and Todd and Katie. And, three grandchildren, Steven, Bradley and our latest addition, Harrison.

Web Exclusive: What hobby will Cheryl go to any length to pursue?

Answer: Fly fishing.