We’re so excited to bring you another #IAmCrossCountry profile, one of several we’ll be highlighting throughout February in recognition of Black History Month — colleagues in Cross Country leadership and those on the frontlines.

“I love helping others and making a difference.”


 We’re so excited to bring you another #IAmCrossCountry profile, one of several
 we’ll be featuring throughout February in recognition of
 <a
 href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/Cross-country-celebrates-black-history-month"
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 target="_blank"
 >Black History Month</a
 >
 — highlighting our corporate team members as well as healthcare and education
 professionals making a difference every day! Today we’d like to introduce Dr.
 Kimberly W., CPP Field Payroll – Team Leader with Cross Country. Her
 experience in the healthcare industry is quite extensive, and she even
 recently achieved something that is quite impressive…and also goes to show
 it’s never too late in life to follow your passions. But you’ll have to read
 on to find out more about that…. so, let’s get going!


 <img
 src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fec23c65f480b4f8699dc832816bf2973%2F92fa71a4d75244c08c4b1b6c414084f4"
 width="40%"
 />


 
 Q. Do you recall a specific moment when you realized you wanted to start a
 career in the healthcare profession?
 


 A. Yes. When I was a little girl, my mom started her nursing
 journey as a nurse’s aide. I enjoyed watching her wear the cute nurse caps and
 the all-white uniform. My mom is awesome, and I knew I wanted to be a nurse
 just like her. After graduating high school, I did my first semester in health
 classes and realized I loved numbers more. Never knew that I would get into
 the nursing field, but just in a totally different way. Doing payroll
 (numbers) for nurses.


 
 Q. What do you find most rewarding about working in the healthcare industry?
 


 A. I love helping others and making a difference. My mother
 was the perfect nurse role model, so easy to love. She showed it throughout
 her career, and it is that love she showed daily that always encouraged me to
 treat others with compassion, love and understanding.


 
 Q. Tell us about your journey to Cross Country? What led you to your current
 position with the company?
 


 A. I worked for one of Cross Country’s competitors for 17
 years. There came a time in my life I was having health challenges and just
 felt burnt out. So, I resigned, taking a job with the City of Hollywood.
 Totally different culture. When I left there and I was ready to get back to
 work, I registered with a staffing agency. I received a call that I needed to
 report to work, and the client was Cross Country. I chuckled to myself, but I
 was ready to get back to what I know. Making a difference and being a bright
 spot for our travelers and co-workers.


 <img
 src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fec23c65f480b4f8699dc832816bf2973%2Fe7fe52f996d447f08f7c554900283b33"
 width="40%"
 />


 Q. What’s your favorite thing about working for Cross Country?


 A. Working from home, but mainly the people I work with. The
 payroll team and our leaders are amazing. We have a great time and that makes
 every day special.

Q. What inspires you in your position from day-to-day?

 A. As weird as this may sound, being able to make an upset
 traveler happy and confident in us is extremely rewarding. Also, being able to
 share my 20+ years’ experience with my teammates is rewarding.

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
 
 “It brings me great satisfaction to put a smile on someone’s face and help
 turn their frown upside down.”
 
</h4>

 
 Q. What is one of the biggest challenges working in the healthcare industry,
 in your opinion?
 


 A. One of the biggest challenges is unhappy nurses. In the
 years that I have been in the industry, it seems like so many of the nurses
 are very angry and at times, no matter what you do or say they are just not
 happy. I’m always up for a challenge though.


 
 Q. You recently achieved a major milestone in your personal life and career.
 Can you tell us more about that, as well as its impact in the healthcare
 industry?
 


 A. I completed my doctorate degree in Global Business. My
 dissertation title is, “Non-Monetary Rewards and Recruitment/Retention of
 Healthcare Workers in Rural Florida.” My topic was inspired by a humanitarian
 trip that I took to Kenya, Africa. The Kipsigis people had very little in the
 form of material things but were the happiest people I ever met. While there,
 visiting the Baraka Hospital, the doctor let us know how many of the people
 didn’t get the proper care and treatment due to lack of insurance and money.
 While I couldn’t do my study in Kenya, I figured if I could do the study here
 in Florida, my research and template would be transferable to other rural
 areas nationally and globally.


 <img
 src="https://cdn.builder.io/api/v1/image/assets%2Fec23c65f480b4f8699dc832816bf2973%2F1d8f2958b9564d0dbcfeb69c774f2df2"
 width="40%"
 />


 Q. Do you have any tips or practices for “taking a break” during the
 day?


 A. Unfortunately, I have not mastered that task due to
 deadlines, but when I do take breaks, I like to walk a few laps around my
 neighborhood to get some fresh air.


 
 Q. If you had one piece of advice to provide to someone looking to get into
 your area of the healthcare space, what would it be?
 


 A. My advice would be to have passion and love for what you
 do. When you have these things, your job doesn’t feel like work. It brings
 about great joy and satisfaction. My daily goal is to make a difference in the
 lives of my teammates, other co-workers and the travelers. I even wrote a
 jingle titled, “Making a Difference.” It brings me great satisfaction to put a
 smile on someone’s face and help turn their frown upside down.


 What did you think about getting to know Dr. W? Like so many our previous
 features, she certainly has a passion for being in the healthcare industry and
 is inspired by helping others. We’re proud Kimberly can say, “I Am Cross
 Country!”


 If you’re interested in being considered for a future #IAmCrossCountry profile
 or know someone who has a great story and would be a great feature, fill out
 the information on the
 <a
 href="https://share.hsforms.com/18SgIj5fPQ4euVLeE_6H5sgcb5sd?fbclid=IwAR37V7BSzNFpow2CB5X1N7TC2lZjieVAqCmFxudc24iLt9GPKYJxsRRJ85s."
 rel="noopener noreferrer"
 target="_blank"
 >campaign landing page</a
 >.

<h2 style="text-align: center;">#IAmCrossCountry</h2>

Dr. Kimberly W. #IAmCrossCountry