Riddle Hospital President Shelly Buck shares journey from nurse to executive

There aren’t that many women who are presidents of hospitals, but Riddle Hospital President Shelly Buck knows all about breaking boundaries.

Research shows only about 14% of hospital CEOs are female. But Buck, who started her career as a nurse, has broken the glass ceiling.

“I’ve experienced some challenges that you normally wouldn’t have in your career,” Buck said. “It’s been interesting to say the least.”

Right after Buck assumed the position, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world.

She managed Riddle’s pandemic response while also overseeing a major expansion of Riddle, part of Main Line Health. The once sleepy little hospital has grown into a thriving medical campus in Media.

“The best reward has been seeing the transformation of Riddle Hospital without losing its core,” Buck said. “The values, the commitment to the community, the support of the community, the employees here.”

A grand mosaic in the lobby shows the Delaware County community around the hospital, with thousands of tiles decorated with pictures and words like hope, unity and excellence.

“This mosaic is a reflection of the hospital, also the community that we serve,” Buck said.

Buck started her professional life as a nurse and says service is in her blood.

“The fact that I’m a registered nurse, I think I bring a little bit of a different perspective to the role,” she added. “I can tell you it wasn’t a straight shot [to get here], that’s for sure. I tell people I serpentined to get here. … When I first started out as nursing, I didn’t aspire to be, you know, the president of a hospital or CEO or anything like that. That was not my dream. I just knew that I wanted to provide good quality care to every person that I touched. And the opportunities just kind of came my way.”

Now Buck is committed to making more opportunities for others, especially women. 

“We need more women, more nurses, I would say even, in health care, in leadership positions as presidents, as CEO. … I just get so much joy in doing this work, because I know it’s bigger than me. It’s not just about me, it’s about those lives that are entrusted in our hands.”