Elizabeth Erickson leads West Allis campus with a passion for meeting, adapting to community needs
03/15/24 12:00:pm
“I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead in this way,” says Elizabeth.
This August, Elizabeth will mark her 13th year with Rogers. She started her career as an intake specialist in Oconomowoc.
“To date, it’s the hardest position I’ve ever had because of working with individuals who are in acute crisis,” she says. “It was equally rewarding to help people access care and navigate through a complicated health system. I learned how to screen effectively, in addition to crisis management and interventions. I’m still good friends with people I worked with back then. It was difficult, but very fulfilling work.”
During her time in Admissions, Elizabeth developed a passion for OCD care, serving as program coordinator for OCD PHP and IOP programs. She went on to become an OCD and anxiety therapist, then a clinical supervisor for Silver Lake adult and child and adolescent OCD and Anxiety, adult and child and adolescent Eating Disorder Recovery, and adolescent Depression Recovery. She joined West Allis in 2020 as director of clinical services. She continues to serve in this role, where she oversees inpatient clinical services including therapists, discharge planners, therapeutic specialists, education staff, and experiential therapists in all levels of care.
“It was a big transition,” she says. “I was able to get a deeper understanding of the inpatient level of care, and it was an opportunity to learn a new campus and team. Making the move from Oconomowoc to West Allis was a great experience.”
She says there are many things she likes about working at Rogers, but if she had to boil it down to one thing, it’s the people.
“We come from different backgrounds and walks of life, and we all want to do the right thing, striving to provide high-quality care,” she says. “We keep our patients top of mind, which is something that I value. We don’t just say that. We actually live it out. I also think while change can sometimes be daunting or scary, Rogers isn’t afraid of it. We’re constantly working to improve. That’s exciting and allows me to try new things. I value continuing to grow.”
Elizabeth appreciates the support of leaders who have provided her with opportunities to learn and stretch herself, adding that she eagerly took on extra projects and responsibilities to invest in her development as a leader. She shares advice for anyone wanting to step into a leadership role.
“Don’t box yourself into where you think your career should go,” she says. “I didn’t get my master’s degree in social work thinking that I was going to be in this position. It organically happened based off me continuing to lean into what I’m interested in and taking on challenges, instead of waiting for them to come. I pursued opportunities for development. If you have any interest, actively pursue it.”
Elizabeth participates on numerous committees and spearheads the West Allis campus employee engagement initiatives and newsletter. She also deeply cares about the community.
“It’s so important for us to be plugged in,” she says. “As the community around us changes, we need to adapt to make sure that we’re providing the services that fit the needs. We’ve done a fantastic job of developing our protocols and creating standardized evidence-based care. How do we continue to grow and change so that we’re adapting as the world around us changes?”
Elizabeth is excited about several initiatives she’s currently involved in.
“I’ve been working with Dr. Rae Anne Ho Fung (executive director of clinical integration) to collaborate about veterans,” she shares. “In January, we had a successful veterans open house in West Allis. We’re working on a draft for a program for first responders and veterans. I’m also partnering with the different health and human services in our surrounding counties to create better relationships and educate our staff.”
Getting to know Elizabeth
Elizabeth and her family are looking forward to traveling to South Korea this year. Elizabeth was adopted from South Korea when she was three months old and has travelled as an adult to meet her birth family, including her four older sisters. She’s looking forward to introducing them to her husband and daughter.
