Az Business and AZRE magazines announced the publications’ lists of the Most Influential Women in Arizona of 2024, including Anne Bash, community liaison for Hospice of the Valley. In celebration of the Most Influential Women program, azbigmedia.com is profiling one of the Most Influential Women of 2024 each day leading up to the Most Influential Women of 2024 dinner and reception.
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The Most Influential Women of 2024 will be honored at a reception on Thursday, August 22 at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix. For sponsorship information, email Amy.Lindsey@azbigmedia.com. For information about the event honoring the Most Influential Women, email kari.vanwinkle@azbigmedia.com or click here.
Anne Bash
Community liaison
Hospice of the Valley
Background: “My path into healthcare was a zig-zag. As a third generation nurse, healthcare is in my blood. I love to care for others and started my journey as a candy striper in high school. However, I took a short detour after being bitten by the fashion bug while working in retail sales for Paul Harris in the Midwest; I followed my bliss and graduated with honors, concurrently receiving a B.A. in Fashion Merchandising from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and A.A.S in Textile Development and Marketing from Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, followed by a Master’s degree in Marketing Education from BGSU. My first job out of college was as a personal shopper at Dayton Hudson’s Department Store. It didn’t take long before I felt a tug at my heartstrings and was called into healthcare. I completed the RN Program at Mercy School of Nursing in Toledo, Ohio, and received a BSN from University Detroit Mercy.”
Key to success: “Perseverance, passion and positivity. I credit my parents for leading by example. My dad was an Air Force officer and my mom was a nurse. They consistently demonstrated the qualities of grit, compassion, and resiliency while being my lifelong cheerleader. They taught me to never give up and when things don’t turn out as expected, pivot and find a new way to be successful. Throughout my childhood, we moved around a lot, and I was continuously cultivating new relationships and learning to ‘bloom where I was planted.’ This has given me a resilient, adventurous spirit which has been a great foundation for developing meaningful customer relationships – meeting new people, connecting and finding common ground, and creating and strengthening community connections. I also smile a lot and that is the first thing people notice about me. I try to be warm and welcoming to all – and enjoy talking to everyone. We all have burdens to bear – so why not take a positive, helpful approach and make things easier for others? Hospice of the Valley did such a fabulous job caring for my own family, and I want everyone to know how wonderful hospice care can be. I also draw upon my personal faith and the love and support of my family to provide a strong foundation for success.”
Source of pride: “So many Arizonans are living with dementia – the numbers are steadily growing – and families often don’t know where to turn. We have this incredible program at Hospice Of the Valley called Supportive Care for Dementia – it’s grant funded – so no cost to the families we serve – and available to all in English or Spanish. I am passionate about promoting this in our community as it is a fabulous resource, helping thousands of families. Educators visit in the home, providing individualized education, expert guidance and connections to helpful resources in the community. We provide hope, reassuring families they are not traveling the challenging dementia journey alone. Physicians are grateful for this care and consistently give me positive feedback on how much we have helped their patients. When I share with an overwhelmed husband, wife, son or daughter, how we can help support them and hear them say, “I feel better already,” or when a family member comes up to me in the grocery store or a senior expo and hugs me with tears of joy because of their loved ones compassionate care, that is precious and priceless. Hospice of the Valley has been serving families for 47-years — touching second and third generations of the same family! How humbling to be trusted like that. I am also pretty proud of recruiting my husband to serve as a volunteer for our Salutes program, which honors military veterans with a special ceremony in their home.”
Surprising fact: “When I was just 5 years old, I joined the Flying Fish swim team in Guam, and learned to swim. Everywhere we moved, I joined a swim team, and swam competitively all through high school. I never lost my love for it and today, I regularly swim 50 laps and enjoy water aerobics. Being in and around water – the pool, beach or a lake, is healing and therapeutic for me, and was one of the ways I coped with the stressors of the recent pandemic. My personal mantra is ‘just keep swimming!’”
