Interview with Yuting Li, BEYA STEM Modern-Day Technology Leader

Health Catalyst Senior Analytics Engineer Yuting Li has been awarded the 2023 Modern-Day Technology Leader Award, a part of the BEYA STEM Outstanding Achievement Awards. Li will be recognized for her achievement at the 2023 BEYA STEM Conference at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.

As part of the 2023 BEYA STEM Conference, more than 50 training sessions are available to students and professionals that offer insights on leadership, career development, and technical advancements in the digital economy. These sessions are led by experts from top organizations and facilitate interaction in knowledge environments that promote networking, training, and mentoring.

To celebrate her award, we sat down with Li to learn more about her journey, her goals, and what she is passionate about.

Would you tell us about your role at Health Catalyst?

I am a senior analytics engineer. This is a client-facing role, meaning I work with clients to deliver our services. We use our products to help clients translate data into meaningful visualizations so that our clients can discover and understand the underlying problems clinically, financially, and operationally, utilize data to make data-driven decisions, improve the quality of care, help to save lives, and achieve financial gain.

What about this position are you most passionate about? 

I am most passionate about this role because I am making a difference. At the end of my first year at Mission Health, I received a handwritten letter from a woman I had never met. She thanked me for my work with Kristie, who reported to her and expressed her joy in working with me. She wrote that I had made a difference in their work. I felt extremely touched and realized my job is meaningful and rewarding beyond what I realized.  The best thing is that my work can contribute to a positive outcome.

Would you share a role model or quote you find inspiring? What about this person or quote inspires you? 

My parents are my role models. My mom taught me to be kind, and my dad taught me to be strong. They both are sick, but they keep the most positive spirit. I am inspired by their unconditional love for me and for each other. They cheer each other up, encourage each other not to give up fighting against diseases, and take care of each other when both are sick. 

What are some of your passions outside of work? What do you like to do on your time off?

I am passionate about cooking. I started to cook when I was a student after I moved to the United States. In the beginning, it was more like a survival mode than a passion. It was when I decided to start a vegan diet that I really started to enjoy cooking. When I was on a raw vegan diet, I couldn’t find food that fit my diet easily at restaurants, and I started to make everything from scratch. This was the time I became really focused, researching online, and reading books to find the recipes for raw vegan brownies, pizzas and crackers, and many yummy salad dressings. It gradually became a hobby, and I was always looking for ways to learn how to make my own healthier version of junk food. If I am craving food from my hometown, I Google the recipe and make it at home.

Another reason why I love cooking is that I can share food with people. I enjoy it when my friends and family enjoy my food. I am proud that I can make food every day for my parents during my stay, and they enjoy it so much.

What is one accomplishment you have achieved this past year that you are most proud of?

There are quite a few that I am honored to share. I attended the Healthcare Analytics Summit 2022 in person for the first time and was amazed and inspired by this wonderful experience. It helped to promote Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE) to production for one client who was really happy about our work, and I completed my work before I took my leave.

Also, I am proud of my work with two of Health Catalyst’s affinity groups: Women Empowered and InspirAsion. We became more well-organized. We planned and launched many successful events and discussions last year, and two groups even collaborated on an interesting educational topic that can benefit our folks. I am also excited to be a recipient of the BEYA STEM Modern Day Technology Award. I feel proud that my other female colleagues representing Health Catalyst and I will be awarded this year. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in healthcare technology? 

Those who are trying to use healthcare technology to help patients, improve the quality of care, and contribute to a better outcome inspired me to pursue a career in this field. I was also inspired by the people who gave me the opportunity and encouraged me to enter this field.

How does the mission of Health Catalyst or Health Catalyst values resonate with you and inspire your work? 

The Health Catalyst values to be humble, kind, hard-working, and continuously learning resonate with me. I am surrounded by a group of people reflecting those values. I enjoy working alongside them. They inspire me to be a better person, personally and professionally.

What advice do you have for other women pursuing a career in STEM? 

Believe in yourself.  You are as qualified as men in STEM, and you can break the stereotype if you are willing to give yourself a chance. Look how many amazing and promising female scientists and engineers are in this field. We can join them. While pursuing a career in STEM can sound intimidating, you don’t have to be the smartest to work in STEM. What you need is curiosity and willingness to learn. If you find your interest and passion is in STEM, go for it and never stop learning. If not, it is also okay, and you might shine in another field.

What advice would you give your younger self? 

Be more confident in yourself. Don’t be discouraged by what other people say. 

What are you most excited about at the BEYA STEM Conference? 

What I am most excited about for the BEYA STEM Conference is meeting people and being inspired.

Will you share with us some of your career goals or personal goals?

One of my personal goals is to continue exercising and being healthy. I have been working out at home since 2021, I want to keep it as a routine and continue to challenge myself.

Professionally, I want to be on track to becoming an Analytics Director because I want to be like my manager and field manager, who are doing an excellent job helping people.