3 Questions for … Bill Aseltyne

William Aseltyne, Esq., is Yale New Haven Health System’s executive vice president and general counsel. He joined the health system in 2007.

What was your first job? How did it prepare you for your current role?

I can draw a straight line from an internship that I had in college to my role today. I interned for a U.S. senator in Washington, D.C., and after college worked as a legislative assistant for a U.S. congressman. I gravitated to health care because it affects every one of us at some point in our lives. After law school, I worked as a health law associate at a large law firm and volunteered as chair of the board of an AIDS hospice. My volunteer work introduced me to leadership early in my career and positioned me to join the legal staff of a large hospital. I saw firsthand how dedicated and selfless my hospital and hospice colleagues were, particularly the frontline staff. I ended up as the general counsel of the largest hospital in California for 16 years, and in 2007, Marna Borgstrom and Rick D’Aquila (then YNHH president and chief operating officer, respectively) persuaded me to join the team at Yale New Haven.

What motto or words of wisdom guide you every day?

I have been a dog parent for 35 years - maybe that’s why my favorite mottos are dog related: Be the person your dog thinks you are. And wag more, bark less. Both remind me that as rough as the going may get sometimes, it is important to take a breath, be grateful, be kind and not to take oneself too seriously.

What is the best part of your job and what has kept you working in health care for so long?

The best part of the job is that it’s challenging! No day is dull. Every day presents new hurdles to overcome. What keeps me going are the people – I am grateful to work with values-driven folks, from our volunteer board members to our leadership team to the caregivers and everyone else associated with this enterprise – and the motivation to make health care more accessible and equitable for all. We’re making progress, and there is still much work to do.