Elaina Bagayoko-Smith, MD, PhD

Age

Born March 16, 1955.

Known as Dr. B or Elle to those that know her well.

Job

  • Hospital Administrator
  • She is a FACPE (Fellow of the American College of Physician Executives)
  • Cork Point Healthcare and Cork Point Virtual Enterprise Network.
  • Elle has a 2 mile commute  in her plug-in electric car to the Park-and-Ride and then a 30 minute commute on the light rail to the hospital each day.
  • Elle’s started building her specialized knowledge systems at an early age.
  • Elle’s desk is always immaculate.

Ethnicity

Mother Nikki Jones, raised in Columbus, OH.

Father, Andrew Bagayoko raised in Mali. Emigrated to the US in 1949.

Parents met, married and lived in Cincinnati, OH.

Appearance

Elle is tall and stately with a flawless, medium complexion. She is always impeccably dressed and coiffured. She projects a aura of power and assurance.

Residence

Elle lives in a restored stone farmhouse on 18 secluded acres near West Chester, PA.

Pets

Elle lives on a working farm. They have chickens, goats, sheep and cows. There are even a few cats around to handle the mice. But, no pets.

Religion

Elle and her husband attend St Francis Episcopal Church near Malvern, PA.

Hobbies

When Elle has free time, she does needlepoint and reads romance novels.

Single or married?

Her husband Efram Smith raises Guernsey’s and is a leader in the local slow food movement.

Children?

Elle and Efram have two grown sons, Eric (26) a broker in Valley Forge, PA and Samuel (28) an architect in Philadelphia.

Neither son is married and there are no grandkids.

Temperament

  • Elle isn’t a Type A Personality, she is an A++.
  • Elle is alert to the consequences of applying new ideas or positions.
  • Elle has a very strong will.
  • Elle is more self-confident than almost anyone else.
  • Elle has intuitive abilities and a willingness to “work at” a relationship.
  • Elle is an idea person.
  • Elle sees what might be and says, “Why not?!”
  • Elle enjoys developing unique solutions to complex problems.
  • Elle is capable of caring deeply for others.
  • Elle applies (often ruthlessly) the criterion “Does it work?” to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms.

Favorite color

Wild Blue Yonder, a smoky blue that reminds her of her husband’s eyes.

Friends

  • Elle has a small circle of close friends.
  • Elle attends Needlepoint Guild meetings to see her friend Susan about once a month.
  • Elle helps her friend Joan to administer her churches Sunday School program.
  • Elle has lunch with her med school roommate Tracy about once a month a their old hangout near U Penn.

Favorite foods

Elle fancies herself to be a gourmet cook. On a lark between college and medical school she spent a year at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and never looked back.

Elle loves fresh food, local wines and traditional Pennsylvania Dutch food.

Drinking patterns

Elle restricts herself to club soda with a lime at the many cocktail parties that she attends as the hospital’s representative.
When Elle drinks she prefers Dirty Martinis, Beaujolais and Frascatis.

Elle developed her taste for Frascati on her many trips to visit her art dealer friend in Florence over the years.

Phobias

Elle’s fears failure and is compulsive about managing risk.

Elle approaches reality as she would a giant chess board, always seeking strategies that have a high payoff, and always devising contingency plans in case of error or adversity.

And, in no particular order: Doctors, Reimbursement, Competition, Regulatory bodies, Nurses, Patient safety and liability, Patients, Technology, Big donors and Foundations, Public relations, marketing, catastrophes and malpractice.

Faults

The knowledge and self-confidence which makes Elle so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead  her in interpersonal situations.

Organizational structure and operational procedures are never arbitrary, never set in concrete, but are quite malleable and can be changed, improved, streamlined.

Something hated?

Elle hates rigid attitudes those that cannot work toward a better future.

Secrets?

Elle was found to be legally responsible for a series of bad business decisions at resulted in harm to patients at the hospital where she had her first administrative job. Paying the costs and overcoming the bad press took her years and she hopes that the issue will not continue to haunt her.

Strong memories?

When Elle was almost 14, Apollo landed on the moon. She and her father spent every waking hour for months before and after the landing studying, talking about and watching the event. To this day, it is one of fondest memories of her father.

Any illnesses?

In 2012 Elle had a breast cancer scare. A lumpectomy and a series of radiation treatments handled the problem and has had no further issues.

Nervous gestures?

Elle tends to pick at her cuticles when deep in thought.

Sleep patterns?

Between her obligations at the hospital, the farm and her other commitments, Elle never gets enough sleep.