VP of Quality and Patient Safety, WVU Hospitals
by Kensie Westerfield
Growing up in India, Dr. Niti Armistead always knew she wanted to be a doctor. When she turned 18, her parents decided to immigrate to the United States so their children could have the opportunity to live the American dream. “I am so grateful for the sacrifices my parents made so my sister and I could have a better life.” When asked about her transition from life in India to life in the United States, she describes it as “surprisingly easy.” “I was struck by how friendly and welcoming everyone was and how many opportunities I had to work hard and achieve my dreams.”
One of the opportunities that she excitedly talks about is being able to work to pay her way through college. Within days of moving to the U.S., she acquired her first job as a cook at the neighborhood Pizza Hut and was soon promoted to a waitress position. She kept this job through all four years of college while learning her first lessons in customer service and communication. “Hunger can make people very impatient, and I was occasionally challenged to communicate reasons for delayed service while still keeping hopes of receiving a tip at the end of that encounter.”
From undergraduate studies, Armistead went on to receive her Doctorate of Medicine and then complete her Internal Medicine residency in Richmond, Virginia. It is there that she met her mentor, Dr. Mike Edmond, who happened to be a graduate of West Virginia University. “He encouraged me to challenge myself further by becoming a doctor at an academic health center. In addition to clinical service, the faculty here at West Virginia University Hospitals gets to teach, and learn from, the next generation of doctors.” Dr. Edmond also thought that Morgantown would be a perfect place for her to raise her young family, and now, after residing here for 10 years, she agrees she could not have made a better choice.
Although Armistead was not born and raised in West Virginia, she feels at home here and loves the state. That is why she wanted to be photographed with her favorite thing which has a two-fold meaning. “This beautiful handmade teapot that we got at Tamarack symbolizes my love for both West Virginia and also my favorite moment. There is nothing I enjoy more than a weekend afternoon tea and cookie break with my daughters. Those tender moments are what fill the tank and energize me to resume our hectic lives”.
Armistead truly enjoys her position at WVU Hospitals, where she oversees efforts to help deliver the highest quality of safe and effective care. When asked what keeps her motivated, she points to her organization and its people. “We have so much going for us and I see such potential for greatness. I am amazed at the kindness and the resilience of our patients, their families and the members of our workforce that I deal with every day. It is an honor to be a leader in such an organization and to serve them to the best of my ability is my greatest motivator.”
Armistead has seen great success both personally and professionally and hopes to pass her drive for success on to her two girls. She and her husband Drury, who is also a doctor and who she describes as her “chief supporter and cheerleader,” have two daughters, Veda, who is 15, and Asha, who is nine. She claims that her greatest success to date would be the work-life balance she has been able to achieve. “I believe that a woman can have a successful career while still having a family life. It is hard work, and, in my case, would not have been possible without the help of my phenomenal husband. As a mother, I hope to be a good role model for my daughters and to instill the belief in them that they can have it all, if they so choose.”
