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Surgeon Shakes Up Hospital, Demands Excellence from Staff
7 Oct
Summary
- New chief of internal medicine, Dr. Joan Ridley, implements 2-month trial period to evaluate all staff
- Dr. Ridley views the hospital as underperforming and wants to transform it into a top-tier facility
- Dr. Ridley's personal health condition gives her a sense of urgency and bluntness in her approach
As of October 8th, 2025, Westside Hospital has a new chief of internal medicine, Dr. Joan Ridley, played by Felicity Huffman. Dr. Ridley is determined to turn the hospital around and bring it to a higher level of excellence.
On her first day in charge, Dr. Ridley wasted no time in making her presence felt. She has implemented a 2-month trial period for all employees, during which she will evaluate their performance and decide who is worthy of keeping their job. According to Huffman, Dr. Ridley views the hospital as "sort of stumbling and not being as excellent as it could be." She is now telling the staff, "We're going to the Super Bowl ... if you're up for it, great. If you're not, go play on a different team."
Interestingly, Dr. Ridley's own personal health condition is a driving force behind her blunt and ambitious approach. The article reveals that she has been dealing with a serious diagnosis, which has "freed her" to be more direct with people. As Huffman explains, "It allows her to be blunt with people, not because she's mean or a ball buster, but because it gets results."
Despite her tough methods, Dr. Ridley is firmly in the corner of Dr. Amy, the show's titular character, recognizing her medical genius as a key asset worth preserving. This sets her apart from the hospital's previous chief, Dr. Richard Miller, who was more critical of Amy's bedside manner.
