This episode features Dr. Marianne Baernholdt, Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia, who brings a unique international perspective to healthcare leadership. Born in Denmark and educated across multiple countries, Dr. Baernholdt's journey spans continents, cultures, and nearly every role within the nursing profession.

We discuss her pioneering research in rural healthcare, which challenges common assumptions about healthcare quality in underserved areas. Her studies reveal that rural hospitals often excel in team dynamics and holistic patient care, providing crucial touchpoints for communities that would otherwise lack access to preventive healthcare. Dr. Baernholdt also shares insights from her global health work, including eye-opening experiences in South Africa where rural clinics demonstrated sophisticated quality tracking methods ahead of their time.

As an immigrant and first-generation college graduate, Dr. Baernholdt offers honest reflections on dealing with imposter syndrome, finding belonging in new environments, and learning to laugh at yourself along the way. Her advice to young women is refreshingly practical: be curious, don't limit yourself, and do it even when you're uncomfortable—because nobody else can see those butterflies in your stomach. From co-founding Denmark's first women's crisis center to leading a top nursing school while mentoring the next generation, Dr. Baernholdt exemplifies how embracing vulnerability and supporting others can create lasting change.