Before beginning her role as the director of Spiritual Care Services and Community Relations for UPMC in Central Pa., Brenda Alton was already finding ways to connect her community. She previously served as a pastor for 15 years and worked for Pinnacle Health in Harrisburg, Pa., where she was involved with assisting members of the community battling HIV and cancer.
After attending a women’s roundtable, where a UPMC employee recognized her passion for social responsibility, Brenda joined our organization to blend her interests in health care and community relations.
“Making connections was always a part of who I am,” Brenda said. “When UPMC came along, I thought, ‘Wow – this is an organization that not only provides health care, but also community care.’”
Hungry to fulfill that purpose, Brenda came to UPMC “ready to use all the tools in my [her] toolbox to help this organization be effective in its mission.”
She hit the ground running, initially serving as a supervisor and chaplain, and quickly became a recognizable face.
“I couldn’t go down the halls without people shouting out my name,” she said. “People know me and I make myself available to the community to create that bridge, so they know there’s a source of communication — even when they’re experiencing some challenges.”
Serving With Compassion
That passion for connection has continued to establish her as a leader within our organization. Currently, Brenda serves as a major bridge between UPMC and the community, and she compassionately leads her team to do the same.
Brenda’s ability to bring people together has been a crucial aspect of her leadership as she guides spiritual care, volunteer services, workplace culture, and community engagement for seven UPMC campuses.
“I believe my involvement over the years in the community and being a leader at seven campuses spread out amongst our different counties has allowed me to meet people where they are,” she shared.
She aims to meet community needs by providing education and deploying new resources.
“I think one of the greatest opportunities that we have is to continue increasing our health literacy within our communities,” she explained. “It’s necessary for us to not just hand information to the community, but to have opportunities for learning, so people don’t feel as though there’s an expectation for them to already know something, which can bring a barrier to care.”
Brenda’s commitment to bridging these gaps for surrounding communities is strengthened by her desire to learn more from those she serves and her own team.
“I believe in connecting people,” she said. “I would not be able to be a great servant leader without learning about and listening to others.”
Learning and Listening
This focus on learning and listening extends to the mindful practices she implements for herself to manage mounting priorities. For Brenda, recognizing personal needs, such as work-life balance, and seizing opportunities to recharge are essential to successful leadership.
“I was diagnosed with lupus about twelve years ago, so it’s extremely important for me to get rest,” she shared. “After work, I’ll shift to reading a totally different book, listening to a podcast, or just listening to music.”
Staying attuned to her own personal priorities as she leads also effectively sets an example for her team to listen to their own needs as well.
“I try to make sure I’m taking care of myself and also taking care of those that I work with,” she said. “Especially, if anyone has had a tough experience, I encourage people to take some time and walk away for a bit to recharge.”
She also encourages her team to utilize opportunities for mentorship. Supporting them in expanding their responsibilities when the time is right, Brenda advises emerging leaders “to be a sponge in every opportunity and every door that you walk through.”
Living Out Purpose
Her desire to learn more about her work and the people she serves has led Brenda to guide the Central Pa. region with compassion and connection. Amidst making complex decisions and developing extensive plans to better support the communities we serve, that same passion that led her to UPMC still remains.
“All the work I do is about people, and that’s my passion,” she shared. “Your work really needs to be a purpose, not a job — you have to lead for a lasting impact.”
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