Winslow came ‘up through the ranks’ to earn CEO position

By Carol Higgins Taylor

    NEWPORT — Robin Winslow, 46, chief executive officer of Sebasticook Family Doctors (SFD), has been dedicated to the organization since she first walked through the doors in early 2004.
    Winslow is a true American success story.

Contributed photo

ROBIN WINSLOW

    Winslow always had a love for the medical profession. For 12 years, she worked for Redington Medical Associates doing administrative work and medical billing. She then did transcription from home for a few years. As fate would have it, one day she contracted with SFD for transcription work and was hired as an administrative assistant.
    Once at SFD, her thirst for knowledge, her work ethic including 60-70 hour weeks at times, and her love of the organization precipitated her rise to the top. She learned everything there was to know about SFD, from day-to-day operations to the intricacies of federal grant funding. While she began as an administrative assistant she quickly became executive assistant to the director.
    In 2008, when the executive director resigned, the board, as they had always done, looked to Winslow. She became interim chief operating officer and eventually was confirmed as CEO.
    “I am so proud of the work we do here and proud of my team,” said Winslow. “Every day makes a huge difference in someone’s life. This organization has been like a third child to me (Winslow has twins in college) since Day One and my passion for it only gets stronger.”
    For Winslow, it has always been about the quality of the work, a philosophy she encompassed when working as an assistant and now, as the boss. “Every person is a critical part of the team that holds this organization together,” she said. “I have come up through the ranks and I understand what it takes. And what we all strive to remember is that everything we do is for someone in need or to better the community.”
    The difference that Winslow’s vision has made is evident in the variety of services that SFD provides. She spearheaded numerous programs including dental care, a discount drug program and behavioral health services that assist patients with medication management, counseling services, support groups, and care management.
    “Because we’re a federally qualified health care center, we offer services to people who may not be able to get help elsewhere,” she said. “We are a safety net for those who have no insurance or are under-insured, meaning they have a high deductible.”
    Winslow cares about the community as a whole, not just her patients. SFD takes its dental services into schools, offers free spaghetti suppers, and instituted, in partnership RSU 19, a Snack Pack program where children receive a bag of food to take home over school breaks. If the family does not need the food, they have the option of donating their Snack Pack to another family who does.
    “SFD will always look at the needs of the community to be sure we can help meet those needs,” said Winslow. “That’s what gets me up in the morning. Seeing the gratitude and relief on the faces of our patients when they can finally get medical attention, well, it doesn’t get better than that.”
    Sebasticook Family Doctors has offices in Canaan, Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Newport, and Pittsfield.