Hungry for Inspiration? A family from Hungary came to the US back in the day...

During a Russian assault on Hungary in the late 1950s, the family of Dr. Catherine Takacs Witkop, fled just in the nick of time.

Fast forward to the late 1960s, her parents settled in Torrington CT where Catherine was reared. She was a star of the Nutmeg Ballet Company and I remember being wowed by here back then along with many other amazingly talented dancers who I got to spend one summer with (getting my one triple pirouette down but not on pointe like she and others could do in amazing performances as well!) She went off to Yale then got her medical degree from Columbia University. She selected OB/GYN as a specialty.

She was also in the US Army from which she's recently retired. When Breath Becomes Air is a book she is sharing during her talk at the online Wow! Forum sponsored by the NW CT Chamber of Commerce. She had encouraged people to feel they are capable of deciding their options to a life experience or health challenge.

She has tuned in to the reality people are facing in the midst of facing illness or medical needs or even hopes for a child. She takes extra measures to regain independent agency for each patient to handle their health and life issues.

It is also helpful to promote a sense of team while recognizing the inherent value of each person. She learned from other female leaders in the military and medicine to promote compassion and emotional intelligence. Getting to know the people on one's team well and trusting them with tasks. Encouraging competencies is important so all would be prepared for the unexpected as well as efficient functioningin general. 

At a college with the Air Force Academcy, she had a group of 4000 recruits and cadets she was overseeing during the H1N1 outbreak. She had a huge responsibility to address the crisis. They were able to mitigate the outbreak. They worked efficiently and effectively. They worked with the CDC.  Policies were developed and others benefitted around the country from their information.

Currently she is in charge of overseeing the medical curriculum and training to make sure they meet accreditation criteria at USU. Here's a note about that from their site. Get inspired. She was able to help figure everything out with her team to address COVID19 challenges for the medical school as well. Unstoppable! Congratulations!

"USU is home to many different Centers and Institutes, which help advance the university's research, education and public service missions. Faculty members and students collaborate with other leading experts at USU's Centers and Institutes on projects that push incredible boundaries across manifold disciplines of biomedical science. Their work is shaping military medicine and world health in many positive, powerful ways."