December 19, 2025 • 18 mins
What does it take to build health systems that actually serve people where they work—and hold up under real pressure? We invited Dr. Charles Williams, Chief Medical Officer for Global Medical Services at Lockheed Martin, to unpack how corporate health, public service, and cutting-edge technology come together to protect and empower large workforces.
We start by redefining future-ready health leadership. Charles explains why every workplace is a care setting, how on-site clinics and medically informed benefits change outcomes, and why clinicians need fluency in HR, safety, and security to drive meaningful prevention. He shares a clear blueprint for interdisciplinary collaboration that reduces injuries, accelerates return-to-work decisions, and strengthens a culture of well-being grounded in trust.
From there, we dive into technology’s role. AI can analyze incident data, wearables, and claims to surface risks early, but tools must never eclipse people. You’ll hear a practical framework for adopting AI that supports triage and capacity planning while protecting empathy, privacy, and integrity. Charles brings rare perspective from crisis zones and high-stakes environments, translating situational awareness into corporate contingency planning for natural disasters, violent incidents, and operational disruptions.
We also map the global risk horizon employers must face: escalating healthcare costs that squeeze competitiveness, pandemics on shorter cycles, climate-driven heat and storm events, and geopolitical instability affecting global teams. Charles shares a powerful leadership lesson from responding to the Oklahoma City bombing—why mental health is inseparable from physical safety—and offers actionable guidance for students and early-career professionals who want to blend clinical skill with public service and corporate impact: serve first, stay flexible, and say yes to hard problems.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
Welcome to the Future of Health Podcast,
presented by HOSA Future HealthProfessionals.
Today I'm thrilled and honoredto have for the second time on
the HOSA podcast, Dr.
Charles Williams, Chief MedicalOfficer, Global Medical Services
from the Lockheed MartinCorporation.
Take two, Doctor.
Thank you for having me.
(00:22):
You know, it's so incredible tohave you here live at the
International LeadershipConference in Nashville,
Tennessee, the HOSAInternational Leadership
Conference, and to be talkingabout the future of healthcare,
Dr.
Williams.
And so leading right into theinterview, I'd like to ask you
what does future-ready healthleadership look like to you,
(00:44):
especially in a company ascomplex and global as Lockheed
Martin?
SPEAKER_01 (00:50):
Well, I'll take it in the context really of any
corporation and organization.
(01:32):
So even though we are not ahealthcare organization, we
continue to have an ever-presentfocus on the healthcare delivery
systems in the communities wherewe're at and the care that's
available for them.
SPEAKER_00 (01:45):
And so, Dr.
Williams, in your view, how canthe next generation of health
professionals prepare to serveboth clinical and corporate
populations effectively?
SPEAKER_01 (01:55):
I think that's a great question.
I think we have great trainingprograms out there that are
focused on delivering qualityhealth care providers that are
out there.
Those programs typically arefocused on the conventional
healthcare systems in which wetypically think of physicians,
nurses, allied healthprofessionals, and all the care
(02:16):
providers that do that.
I think that the next generationneeds to understand that
wherever we have people, we havehealth care needs.
And corporations, organizations,businesses have an incredible
vested interest in thehealthcare of their employees,
their populations, and thereforethere are opportunities within
(02:38):
those companies to give advice,guidance, if not direct clinical
care to the employees within theorganizations.
So there really should be a callfor one, our healthcare
providers to understand thatthere is the opportunity to
deliver care or to giveconsultation on the care
services outside the hospitalsystems.
(03:02):
And there's a tremendous needfor our employers to understand
that there are care providersthat are there that are
available to give that care anddeliver that guidance.
SPEAKER_00 (03:10):
That's right.
And so can you speak to theimportance of interdisciplinary
collaboration between medicalprofessionals, engineers, and
security experts, specificallyin your work at Lockheed?
SPEAKER_01 (03:22):
So in our organization, we are an integral
component of our operations andour service delivery platform.
My organization is the center ofexcellence for the healthcare
guidance for the employee carethat's delivered one in our
on-site, and then we're the leadconsultants for our benefit team
from a medical perspective, caredelivery for our employee.
(03:44):
But if we break it down to theday-to-day operations, we have
embedded health care facilitieswithin our production facilities
that work closely with oursafety directors, with our HR,
with our security operations todeliver the care needed to our
employees as well as to monitorwork-related injuries and any
preventive services that we canoffer through based on the scope
(04:07):
of practice of our careproviders.
So we have a very wellintegrated and a necessary
relationship with all of ourfunctional organizations.
SPEAKER_00 (04:17):
It sounds like you've connected all the dots,
and I'd like to ask you aboutthe dots in your career.
So you've had a varied career inlaw enforcement, you've been in
special operations, and now inyour current role and previous
roles.
How have all of these various,you know, just opportunities in
your career helped to shape yourunderstanding of resilience and
(04:43):
decision making under the mostincredible pressure?
SPEAKER_01 (04:48):
I think that's a great question.
And and if if I had to distilleverything down to what is it
that has gotten me to the pointwhere I currently am, I think I
would focus on the termflexibility and willingness to
contribute and serve.
I think that that you know, fromwhat I've done in my medical
(05:10):
training, my pre-hospital caretraining, my special operations
training, law enforcement, allthe counter-anterrorism work,
all the stuff that I've done hasmade me one, I think, pretty
flexible, pretty uh open toconsider challenges that are out
there, and doing all of that ona platform of wanting and
(05:31):
willing to serve others for thebetterment of all.
And what that has done is it hasallowed me the opportunity to
one be in some very interestingplaces, um, some very
challenging places, but in allinstances working towards what I
can do to help make thingsbetter and help others.
SPEAKER_00 (05:52):
Right, right.
And so it first of all, it'sincredible.
I've seen a lot of resumes overthe years, but my gosh, you're
varied experienced.
I mean, it's so so incrediblypowerful powerful.
And talk about resilience.
And you've even had theopportunity to fly in some of
the products your company makes.
SPEAKER_01 (06:12):
We so I had some incredible opportunities within
the organization.
The aeronautics business areawithin Lockheed Martin is uh is
one of our uh predominant andpremier business areas out of
the four business areas.
We have some fantastic productsthat we put out.
I um had the opportunity to umhelp ferry, which means
transport two F-16s to Colombia,um, as uh they were uh
(06:34):
recruiting us to look at theproduct for potentially adding
to their Air Force andparticipating in their air show.
And uh indeed, um uh, you know,the F-16 is celebrating its 50th
year anniversary in air and isstill one of the major flat
platforms in a number of uhcountries throughout our
international geographies.
(06:54):
And I had the chance to fly init and fly a little bit in.
SPEAKER_00 (06:58):
It it that's that's incredible.
It's incredible to to for youlikely to have flown in the
products that your companymakes.
I mean, that's that's just uhawe-inspiring.
Shifting to healthcare again.
Um corporate health is evolving,right?
And there's technology, and thisyou and I have talked about a
(07:18):
lot AI, emergency, emergingtechnologies, innovation.
Dr.
Williams, how do you believe allof this will transform how
companies support employeewell-being in general?
SPEAKER_01 (07:35):
You know, I think that the um make no mistake
about it, the the leaps andbounds that we're making in
techno in the technologicaladvancements these days are
going to change the face of theway that we do work, including
not only how we provide healthcare, but the way that our
companies and our organizationswork, mine included, within the
(07:56):
next five to ten years.
Um I think that the the goodnews is that there are
tremendous opportunities throughthe technologies that we're
getting, including artificialintelligence, to help streamline
the work that we're doing, takemassive amounts of information
and process it in ways that wenever conceptualize it being
(08:16):
processed.
Um, however, the work that weneed to do is to truly find out
how do we assimilate thattechnology in without losing our
people and understanding thatour people have our one, our
greatest asset that we havewithin our organizations, our
companies, and how do we takethat technology that we have and
(08:37):
the advances and the and and andhelp get it to help us
understand how do we take careof our people better as we're
doing our work faster andsmarter?
SPEAKER_00 (08:49):
And so you've worked in austere environments in
crisis zones, part of yourvaried background, which we all
stand in awe of.
Thank you for your service toour nation and to the citizens
of the world.
How do you bring that kind ofsituational awareness to
planning in your current rolefor corporate health risks?
SPEAKER_01 (09:13):
There's there's nothing like staring your own
potential death in face to helpuh open the aperture of your
understanding of the value oflife and the value of
interpersonal communication,contact, communication, and the
work that we do.
Um, those experiences that I'vehad, which um I wouldn't
(09:36):
necessarily repeat those if Ihad the opportunity, just so you
know, George, um really have putme in a position where in all
instances, with all thecomplexity of the work that we
do, I continue to understandthat the most valuable thing
that we have is the life that wehave.
And so when we have very complexsituations, we have uh natural
(09:58):
disasters, we have man-madedisasters, we have incidents of
violence or so forth.
I always go back to thatfoundation of how do we help
people stay alive and do betterin all times, and then start
working the contingency plansfor how do you make those things
happen?
How do you stop the threat,right?
Right?
How do you identify risks?
(10:19):
How do you start to mitigatethem?
How do you bring resources,including healthcare
organizations, those things tobear?
Yeah, to one stop the bleeding,if you would.
SPEAKER_00 (10:33):
We're grateful that you're in the role you're in.
Let me just say that.
Let me just say that.
And so from a public healthlens, this is a deeper question,
perhaps.
What, Dr.
Williams, do you see as emerginghealth global risks?
So, what are those global risksin health that large employers
(10:55):
should plan, should anticipate,perhaps over the next five to
ten years?
SPEAKER_01 (11:02):
I think that's a great question as well.
If you think about global risks,I think one of the things that
you hear a lot about, but it'snot really put into the aperture
of being a risk, but itabsolutely is.
And that is the cost, theincreasing cost of healthcare,
healthcare delivery,pharmaceuticals, all of those
things.
If you look at the challengesthat companies and organizations
(11:25):
have, they the number one costtypically is the cost of their
labor, and it's the cost ofdelivering that benefit, that
healthcare benefit, which is notjust a benefit, it really is an
essential.
That's right.
And so it's a risk because it'sexpensive, and if they get the
opportunity, they're going totrim down that risk and that
(11:45):
cost so that they can delivertheir products, more products
faster.
So we're not speaking about theuncontrolled cost in our
healthcare industry as a truerisk to the company, but it
absolutely is, and we have torecognize that.
That's number one.
Wow.
We do anticipate that there isthe risk of the ever-emerging
pandemic.
No one wants to hear aboutCOVID-19 again.
(12:07):
Unfortunately, it's not gone,but the unfortunate risk is
historically they thought thatthe pandemics were once in a
hundred years.
Latest statistics have cut thattime in half.
So it's possible that we couldcertainly experience that
episode again.
Then you talk about climatechange and risk on industry, and
you think about um the impactthat we have with severe storms
(12:32):
and so forth, those are evergrowing and increasing risk
secondary to climate change, isa huge risk.
And then it should be nosurprise whatsoever.
The geopolitical stability ofour countries is a significant
risk.
And that's one of the thingsthat I'm most proud of in my
organization is our mission toprovide global security and
(12:56):
stability for not only theUnited States, but all of our um
globally, if we can, for thewhole world.
SPEAKER_00 (13:04):
Incredible perspective.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that.
That's it's such a lesson forcorporate leaders around the
world and anyone running anorganization to be thinking
about and to be aware of.
And so deeply grateful for thatperspective.
Dr.
Williams, would you be able toshare a moment in your career
(13:26):
where perhaps an unexpectedchallenge taught you something
critical, specifically aboutleadership and relating to
healthcare?
SPEAKER_01 (13:37):
You know, I think that if I if I had to go back to
it, you know, April 19th of1995, um, when I was one of the
first responders to the bombingof the Alpha P.
Murray building in OklahomaCity.
Um the building dropped at 9.02,904, my pager went off for the
sheriff's department that I justjoined two months before.
By 915, I was in the building.
(13:59):
And um, at that point in time, Iwas a second-year resident in
emergency medicine and was justhelping the my friends out in
the sheriff's department thatI'd made while I was in the
emergency department becausethey were all the people that
would come to help me when wehit things went bad in the
emergency department.
I had no idea that within twomonths I'd be called to respond
to one at that point in time,the largest acts of domestic
(14:22):
terrorism.
That day that I spent in theMurrah building did a couple of
things.
It continues to teach me lessonsthat I learned, but one of the
biggest lessons that I learnedwas one, this was wrong.
Right.
That it was wrong that we had torespond, that we had to put our
first responders in place, thatthose people lost their lives
(14:44):
and so forth.
Secondary two, individuals thatwere struggling psychologically,
politically motivated, and thatwere inspired to kill others in
a mass fashion.
And and so that that recognitionof that need um really helped to
(15:05):
emphasize the fact that we trulyhave to focus on the mental
health and well-being of ourpopulation, of our employees, of
our peers, our friends, ourfamily, because it's
instrumental not only to how weare emotionally well, but as
we've seen, how we can bephysically well.
And then the two weeks that Ispent there in the recovery from
(15:29):
that disaster, I spent the twoweeks down there at the Murrah
building with the sheriff'sdeputies, with the highway
patrolmen, with the EMSproviders, the fire department,
the search and rescue teams,there providing care to them.
And at that point in time, therewasn't a great system set up for
that.
So it really affirmed this needfor me to take health care into
(15:53):
the field as far forward intothe hot zone as possible, and
that kind of led to me being inthe funny positions that I've
been in in the past.
SPEAKER_00 (16:02):
Well, they're they're positions of of change
and impact, and uh it's not byaccident that you're doing what
you're doing.
Let's just say that, right?
It's not by accident, and sothat all leads us to probably
the most profound question interms of this interview today,
part two of the interview herewith Dr.
(16:24):
Williams, Lockheed Mark.
Dr.
Williams, what advice would yougive to students and those in
early career professionaldevelopment programs interested
in blending clinical medicinewith public service or corporate
(16:44):
leadership?
SPEAKER_01 (16:46):
You know, I I think if I had to put it um and and
summarize it, it would be inalways think of how of how you
can serve and how you can help.
If you've gone into healthcarein whatever form or fashion or
facet, um, and whether it's foranimal health or whether it's
for human health base, you'reyou're there because of this
(17:10):
desire to help others.
And I think the advice is to isto understand that that's not
limited to just being in thehospital or in the clinic.
It's it really is about how canyou help others in multiple
instances.
And the opportunities that I'vehad is because I tend to say yes
(17:31):
and I look for the yes in everycomplex problem or question or
concern that's out there.
And when people ask you for helpand you say yes, let me see how
I can help, that will open thedoors, one, not only within
healthcare systems, but it willopen the doors to the
infrastructures fororganizations, municipalities,
(17:54):
and um everyone that's out therethat has a need.
And the need is great.
And so I think to summarize,George, I would say always look
for opportunity.
Keep your foundation of serviceto others, and say yes more than
you say no.
SPEAKER_00 (18:13):
You know, it's uh we've done a lot of these
interviews over the years, andthis is uh profound.
It's profound.
It's so valuable for thosefuture health professionals
across the world watching thisprogram to hear from your
leadership, Dr.
Charles Williams, Chief MedicalOfficer Global Medical Services
at Lockheed Martin, and a memberof the HOSA 100 International
(18:38):
Advisory Council.
Here live at the HOSAInternational Leadership
Conference 2025.
Dr.
Williams, thank you so much.
Part two.
Thanks for having me.
Thank you.
Ready for part three?
Yeah, anytime.
Welcome to the Future of Health Podcast,
presented by HOSA Future HealthProfessionals.
Today I'm thrilled and honoredto have for the second time on
the HOSA podcast, Dr.
Charles Williams, Chief MedicalOfficer, Global Medical Services
from the Lockheed MartinCorporation.
Take two, Doctor.
Thank you for having me.
(00:22):
You know, it's so incredible tohave you here live at the
International LeadershipConference in Nashville,
Tennessee, the HOSAInternational Leadership
Conference, and to be talkingabout the future of healthcare,
Dr.
Williams.
And so leading right into theinterview, I'd like to ask you
what does future-ready healthleadership look like to you,
(00:44):
especially in a company ascomplex and global as Lockheed
Martin?
SPEAKER_01 (00:50):
Well, I'll take it in the context really of any
corporation and organization.
(01:32):
So even though we are not ahealthcare organization, we
continue to have an ever-presentfocus on the healthcare delivery
systems in the communities wherewe're at and the care that's
available for them.
SPEAKER_00 (01:45):
And so, Dr.
Williams, in your view, how canthe next generation of health
professionals prepare to serveboth clinical and corporate
populations effectively?
SPEAKER_01 (01:55):
I think that's a great question.
I think we have great trainingprograms out there that are
focused on delivering qualityhealth care providers that are
out there.
Those programs typically arefocused on the conventional
healthcare systems in which wetypically think of physicians,
nurses, allied healthprofessionals, and all the care
(02:16):
providers that do that.
I think that the next generationneeds to understand that
wherever we have people, we havehealth care needs.
And corporations, organizations,businesses have an incredible
vested interest in thehealthcare of their employees,
their populations, and thereforethere are opportunities within
(02:38):
those companies to give advice,guidance, if not direct clinical
care to the employees within theorganizations.
So there really should be a callfor one, our healthcare
providers to understand thatthere is the opportunity to
deliver care or to giveconsultation on the care
services outside the hospitalsystems.
(03:02):
And there's a tremendous needfor our employers to understand
that there are care providersthat are there that are
available to give that care anddeliver that guidance.
SPEAKER_00 (03:10):
That's right.
And so can you speak to theimportance of interdisciplinary
collaboration between medicalprofessionals, engineers, and
security experts, specificallyin your work at Lockheed?
SPEAKER_01 (03:22):
So in our organization, we are an integral
component of our operations andour service delivery platform.
My organization is the center ofexcellence for the healthcare
guidance for the employee carethat's delivered one in our
on-site, and then we're the leadconsultants for our benefit team
from a medical perspective, caredelivery for our employee.
(03:44):
But if we break it down to theday-to-day operations, we have
embedded health care facilitieswithin our production facilities
that work closely with oursafety directors, with our HR,
with our security operations todeliver the care needed to our
employees as well as to monitorwork-related injuries and any
preventive services that we canoffer through based on the scope
(04:07):
of practice of our careproviders.
So we have a very wellintegrated and a necessary
relationship with all of ourfunctional organizations.
SPEAKER_00 (04:17):
It sounds like you've connected all the dots,
and I'd like to ask you aboutthe dots in your career.
So you've had a varied career inlaw enforcement, you've been in
special operations, and now inyour current role and previous
roles.
How have all of these various,you know, just opportunities in
your career helped to shape yourunderstanding of resilience and
(04:43):
decision making under the mostincredible pressure?
SPEAKER_01 (04:48):
I think that's a great question.
And and if if I had to distilleverything down to what is it
that has gotten me to the pointwhere I currently am, I think I
would focus on the termflexibility and willingness to
contribute and serve.
I think that that you know, fromwhat I've done in my medical
(05:10):
training, my pre-hospital caretraining, my special operations
training, law enforcement, allthe counter-anterrorism work,
all the stuff that I've done hasmade me one, I think, pretty
flexible, pretty uh open toconsider challenges that are out
there, and doing all of that ona platform of wanting and
(05:31):
willing to serve others for thebetterment of all.
And what that has done is it hasallowed me the opportunity to
one be in some very interestingplaces, um, some very
challenging places, but in allinstances working towards what I
can do to help make thingsbetter and help others.
SPEAKER_00 (05:52):
Right, right.
And so it first of all, it'sincredible.
I've seen a lot of resumes overthe years, but my gosh, you're
varied experienced.
I mean, it's so so incrediblypowerful powerful.
And talk about resilience.
And you've even had theopportunity to fly in some of
the products your company makes.
SPEAKER_01 (06:12):
We so I had some incredible opportunities within
the organization.
The aeronautics business areawithin Lockheed Martin is uh is
one of our uh predominant andpremier business areas out of
the four business areas.
We have some fantastic productsthat we put out.
I um had the opportunity to umhelp ferry, which means
transport two F-16s to Colombia,um, as uh they were uh
(06:34):
recruiting us to look at theproduct for potentially adding
to their Air Force andparticipating in their air show.
And uh indeed, um uh, you know,the F-16 is celebrating its 50th
year anniversary in air and isstill one of the major flat
platforms in a number of uhcountries throughout our
international geographies.
(06:54):
And I had the chance to fly init and fly a little bit in.
SPEAKER_00 (06:58):
It it that's that's incredible.
It's incredible to to for youlikely to have flown in the
products that your companymakes.
I mean, that's that's just uhawe-inspiring.
Shifting to healthcare again.
Um corporate health is evolving,right?
And there's technology, and thisyou and I have talked about a
(07:18):
lot AI, emergency, emergingtechnologies, innovation.
Dr.
Williams, how do you believe allof this will transform how
companies support employeewell-being in general?
SPEAKER_01 (07:35):
You know, I think that the um make no mistake
about it, the the leaps andbounds that we're making in
techno in the technologicaladvancements these days are
going to change the face of theway that we do work, including
not only how we provide healthcare, but the way that our
companies and our organizationswork, mine included, within the
(07:56):
next five to ten years.
Um I think that the the goodnews is that there are
tremendous opportunities throughthe technologies that we're
getting, including artificialintelligence, to help streamline
the work that we're doing, takemassive amounts of information
and process it in ways that wenever conceptualize it being
(08:16):
processed.
Um, however, the work that weneed to do is to truly find out
how do we assimilate thattechnology in without losing our
people and understanding thatour people have our one, our
greatest asset that we havewithin our organizations, our
companies, and how do we takethat technology that we have and
(08:37):
the advances and the and and andhelp get it to help us
understand how do we take careof our people better as we're
doing our work faster andsmarter?
SPEAKER_00 (08:49):
And so you've worked in austere environments in
crisis zones, part of yourvaried background, which we all
stand in awe of.
Thank you for your service toour nation and to the citizens
of the world.
How do you bring that kind ofsituational awareness to
planning in your current rolefor corporate health risks?
SPEAKER_01 (09:13):
There's there's nothing like staring your own
potential death in face to helpuh open the aperture of your
understanding of the value oflife and the value of
interpersonal communication,contact, communication, and the
work that we do.
Um, those experiences that I'vehad, which um I wouldn't
(09:36):
necessarily repeat those if Ihad the opportunity, just so you
know, George, um really have putme in a position where in all
instances, with all thecomplexity of the work that we
do, I continue to understandthat the most valuable thing
that we have is the life that wehave.
And so when we have very complexsituations, we have uh natural
(09:58):
disasters, we have man-madedisasters, we have incidents of
violence or so forth.
I always go back to thatfoundation of how do we help
people stay alive and do betterin all times, and then start
working the contingency plansfor how do you make those things
happen?
How do you stop the threat,right?
Right?
How do you identify risks?
(10:19):
How do you start to mitigatethem?
How do you bring resources,including healthcare
organizations, those things tobear?
Yeah, to one stop the bleeding,if you would.
SPEAKER_00 (10:33):
We're grateful that you're in the role you're in.
Let me just say that.
Let me just say that.
And so from a public healthlens, this is a deeper question,
perhaps.
What, Dr.
Williams, do you see as emerginghealth global risks?
So, what are those global risksin health that large employers
(10:55):
should plan, should anticipate,perhaps over the next five to
ten years?
SPEAKER_01 (11:02):
I think that's a great question as well.
If you think about global risks,I think one of the things that
you hear a lot about, but it'snot really put into the aperture
of being a risk, but itabsolutely is.
And that is the cost, theincreasing cost of healthcare,
healthcare delivery,pharmaceuticals, all of those
things.
If you look at the challengesthat companies and organizations
(11:25):
have, they the number one costtypically is the cost of their
labor, and it's the cost ofdelivering that benefit, that
healthcare benefit, which is notjust a benefit, it really is an
essential.
That's right.
And so it's a risk because it'sexpensive, and if they get the
opportunity, they're going totrim down that risk and that
(11:45):
cost so that they can delivertheir products, more products
faster.
So we're not speaking about theuncontrolled cost in our
healthcare industry as a truerisk to the company, but it
absolutely is, and we have torecognize that.
That's number one.
Wow.
We do anticipate that there isthe risk of the ever-emerging
pandemic.
No one wants to hear aboutCOVID-19 again.
(12:07):
Unfortunately, it's not gone,but the unfortunate risk is
historically they thought thatthe pandemics were once in a
hundred years.
Latest statistics have cut thattime in half.
So it's possible that we couldcertainly experience that
episode again.
Then you talk about climatechange and risk on industry, and
you think about um the impactthat we have with severe storms
(12:32):
and so forth, those are evergrowing and increasing risk
secondary to climate change, isa huge risk.
And then it should be nosurprise whatsoever.
The geopolitical stability ofour countries is a significant
risk.
And that's one of the thingsthat I'm most proud of in my
organization is our mission toprovide global security and
(12:56):
stability for not only theUnited States, but all of our um
globally, if we can, for thewhole world.
SPEAKER_00 (13:04):
Incredible perspective.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that.
That's it's such a lesson forcorporate leaders around the
world and anyone running anorganization to be thinking
about and to be aware of.
And so deeply grateful for thatperspective.
Dr.
Williams, would you be able toshare a moment in your career
(13:26):
where perhaps an unexpectedchallenge taught you something
critical, specifically aboutleadership and relating to
healthcare?
SPEAKER_01 (13:37):
You know, I think that if I if I had to go back to
it, you know, April 19th of1995, um, when I was one of the
first responders to the bombingof the Alpha P.
Murray building in OklahomaCity.
Um the building dropped at 9.02,904, my pager went off for the
sheriff's department that I justjoined two months before.
By 915, I was in the building.
(13:59):
And um, at that point in time, Iwas a second-year resident in
emergency medicine and was justhelping the my friends out in
the sheriff's department thatI'd made while I was in the
emergency department becausethey were all the people that
would come to help me when wehit things went bad in the
emergency department.
I had no idea that within twomonths I'd be called to respond
to one at that point in time,the largest acts of domestic
(14:22):
terrorism.
That day that I spent in theMurrah building did a couple of
things.
It continues to teach me lessonsthat I learned, but one of the
biggest lessons that I learnedwas one, this was wrong.
Right.
That it was wrong that we had torespond, that we had to put our
first responders in place, thatthose people lost their lives
(14:44):
and so forth.
Secondary two, individuals thatwere struggling psychologically,
politically motivated, and thatwere inspired to kill others in
a mass fashion.
And and so that that recognitionof that need um really helped to
(15:05):
emphasize the fact that we trulyhave to focus on the mental
health and well-being of ourpopulation, of our employees, of
our peers, our friends, ourfamily, because it's
instrumental not only to how weare emotionally well, but as
we've seen, how we can bephysically well.
And then the two weeks that Ispent there in the recovery from
(15:29):
that disaster, I spent the twoweeks down there at the Murrah
building with the sheriff'sdeputies, with the highway
patrolmen, with the EMSproviders, the fire department,
the search and rescue teams,there providing care to them.
And at that point in time, therewasn't a great system set up for
that.
So it really affirmed this needfor me to take health care into
(15:53):
the field as far forward intothe hot zone as possible, and
that kind of led to me being inthe funny positions that I've
been in in the past.
SPEAKER_00 (16:02):
Well, they're they're positions of of change
and impact, and uh it's not byaccident that you're doing what
you're doing.
Let's just say that, right?
It's not by accident, and sothat all leads us to probably
the most profound question interms of this interview today,
part two of the interview herewith Dr.
(16:24):
Williams, Lockheed Mark.
Dr.
Williams, what advice would yougive to students and those in
early career professionaldevelopment programs interested
in blending clinical medicinewith public service or corporate
(16:44):
leadership?
SPEAKER_01 (16:46):
You know, I I think if I had to put it um and and
summarize it, it would be inalways think of how of how you
can serve and how you can help.
If you've gone into healthcarein whatever form or fashion or
facet, um, and whether it's foranimal health or whether it's
for human health base, you'reyou're there because of this
(17:10):
desire to help others.
And I think the advice is to isto understand that that's not
limited to just being in thehospital or in the clinic.
It's it really is about how canyou help others in multiple
instances.
And the opportunities that I'vehad is because I tend to say yes
(17:31):
and I look for the yes in everycomplex problem or question or
concern that's out there.
And when people ask you for helpand you say yes, let me see how
I can help, that will open thedoors, one, not only within
healthcare systems, but it willopen the doors to the
infrastructures fororganizations, municipalities,
(17:54):
and um everyone that's out therethat has a need.
And the need is great.
And so I think to summarize,George, I would say always look
for opportunity.
Keep your foundation of serviceto others, and say yes more than
you say no.
SPEAKER_00 (18:13):
You know, it's uh we've done a lot of these
interviews over the years, andthis is uh profound.
It's profound.
It's so valuable for thosefuture health professionals
across the world watching thisprogram to hear from your
leadership, Dr.
Charles Williams, Chief MedicalOfficer Global Medical Services
at Lockheed Martin, and a memberof the HOSA 100 International
(18:38):
Advisory Council.
Here live at the HOSAInternational Leadership
Conference 2025.
Dr.
Williams, thank you so much.
Part two.
Thanks for having me.
Thank you.
Ready for part three?
Yeah, anytime.
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