Anna Kim: KHPeople

KHP Programme Manager Anna Kim [pictured] reveals how variety and the unknown can help open multiple doors and prompt development.

What is your role within King’s Health Partners?

I joined King’s Health Partners in late 2022 as a Programme Manager in our Partnerships and Programmes team. Since then, I’ve been involved in the management of lots of different events, relationships, and projects - but my current areas of focus are related to our Academic Surgery programme and the King’s Health Partners priorities in Personalised Health or Health Digital and Data Sciences. Examples of these include the establishment of the KHP Executive Fellowship in Surgical Leadership, the KHP Rare Disease Network, and more recently, supporting the national UKRI funded Responsible AI UK working group for Health and Social Care.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

If I had to pick one thing, I think it would simply be the freedom and support I have to make a positive impact for others. This could be from supporting a patient to share their experiences, to organising a 60-person, two-day visit for international partners to learn from the way we do things here and explore new collaborations. I won’t lie - the variety and unknown can sometimes be overwhelming, but on reflection each new thing has opened multiple doors for me, either professionally for my career and development or even personally at times.

What inspired you to get into this work?

I’ve always wanted to work in healthcare but at a broader level than just a single organisation. Both my previous role at the South East Genomic Medicine Service and my position at King’s Health Partners helps me do that and be involved in innovation at scale that I’d never imagined I would be able to when I first joined the NHS through the graduate management training scheme.

What are the benefits of working in partnership?

I don’t think we can afford to work in silos, especially in healthcare with the lack of resources and already known issues in equity of access and quality. We need to work smarter and collaborate with others to benefit our local populations and not compete at the expense of anyone. We’re likely to achieve more by working together.

What would be your one career top tip?

Every experience good or bad will shape you and help you with the next. Try to enjoy both and embrace all opportunities - and never be afraid to ask for help!