Overcoming Challenges Faced by Women in Healthcare Leadership

Denise Cox
SVP, Chief Customer Officer, North America, Omnicell

Women currently hold more than 75% of all healthcare jobs in the United States, versus just 8% in the 1960s. Yet as the number of women in healthcare continues to increase, studies show that there are several barriers, both external and self-imposed, that women face when it comes to achieving leadership positions. In fact, just 33% of senior leadership positions in healthcare are held by women, with only 19% of hospitals led by women, and only 13% of CEOs across the healthcare industry are women. Implications for women of color are even worse, with only 5% of C-suite positions held by minority women.

As part of Omnicell Illuminate 2021, I’m excited to host the “Women in Healthcare Leadership” panel featuring Jennifer Tryon, PharmD, MS, FASHP, Associate Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer, Wake Forest Baptist Health, and Rafael Saenz, PharmD, MS, FASHP, Chief of Staff, American Pharmacists Association. During this interactive panel discussion, we’ll shine a spotlight on the many challenges facing women leaders in healthcare today.

We’ll explore how contending with unintentional bias, ageism and stereotypes are common challenges across both public and private healthcare sectors, and how these age-old barriers are often compounded by a woman’s own internal struggles with work/life balance, feeling unprepared or unqualified, or having a lack of support.

As Jennifer and Rafael share their personal experiences, you will learn the tactics and techniques that can help you and the women around you achieve your career objectives. We will discuss the benefits of participating in a mentorship program, clearly and consistently communicating career goals to colleagues and managers and even family, engaging with and utilizing industry associations and other professional organizations, and how regular check-ins at different stages of your career can help keep career objectives in the forefront, and accelerate long overdue changes in the gender landscape of healthcare leadership.

Register today to learn more about the future for women leaders in healthcare at Omnicell Illuminate 2021 and be sure to explore our full three-day slate of continuing education, networking, interactive demos, and other learning opportunities.

DISCLAIMER

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author(s). These views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time and may not be held in perpetuity.