Up & Comers awards showcase all that millennials offer

We have all been hearing and reading about millennials—that dynamic, upstart generation of young adults who are shaking up the way we live and work. Most millennials are still 20-somethings but, depending on which definition you go by, the oldest members are entering their late 30s.

In healthcare, this means the millennial spirit is creeping up into the ranks of executives. Is this a good thing? I think so.

When painted in a negative light, millennials are described as impatient, entitled, and more in tune with the virtual world than the real one. On the positive side, however, millennials are considered fearless, innovative and civic-minded. They want to make a difference and don't need to be told by elders when it is time to do so.

The age 40-and-under Up & Comers you will read about in the following pages are on the leading edge of the millennial generation. Whether influenced more by their peers, parents or position in life, they all exhibit these redeeming qualities:

Fearless. These young executives seem to have no inhibitions about fast-tracking their careers and championing new initiatives at their organizations and in their communities.

Innovative. Infusing their work with creativity, open-mindedness and technological know-how, these leaders are rethinking the way healthcare is delivered, just when it is needed most.

Civic-minded. Healthcare is all about making a difference in people's lives, and the 2014 Up & Comers wholly embrace this calling.

“Youth is wasted on the young” is a proverb often attributed to George Bernard Shaw. That may be true in some instances, but this year's Up & Comers are living proof that the maxim has plenty of exceptions.

For the 17th year, Witt/Kieffer is proud to sponsor Modern Healthcare's Up & Comers awards. Our entire industry stands to benefit from the bold and progressive ideas of these honorees.