Becker's Hospital Review

30 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP POPULATION HEALTH eryone in all of the communities we serve." Carla Parker-Hollis, COO of Jersey City (N.J.) Med- ical Center-RWJBarnabas Health. "As an individual fortunate enough to be regarded as a healthcare leader, specifically a female leader, the opportunity to mentor other women is an imperative. Nothing is more joyful than to know you have made a difference in someone's life and positively impacted the future of an aspiring young person. As we celebrate International Women's Day, let's remember to reach out to a young woman, offer encouragement, and pay forward the good for- tune we have achieved as leaders." Talya Schwartz, MD, President and CEO of MetroPlus Health Plan. "One of the most important things a health- care leader can do is give her — or his — team the tools to be leaders in their respective areas. No one person, especial- ly in our industry's evolving landscape, can move a health plan forward. Make sure you have the right people with the right skills, the right training, and the right technologies. en trust your staff to do what needs to be done." Laishy Williams-Carlson, CIO of Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health. "One of my favorite quotes (and also cited by Judy Faulker as one of her favorites) is, 'What you put up with is what you stand for.' This quote guides me when it would be easier to be timid or keep the peace, and I remind myself that not saying something implies that I condone or agree with a statement or behavior. Sometimes I realize after the fact that I should have spoken up and instead I took the easy way out — but most of the time I speak truth to power. In my experience, speaking truth to power stops a bully in his or her tracks, puts others on notice that you've seen their actions and are willing to take a stand, and changes future interactions positive- ly. My advice is to have the courage of your convic- tions and be willing to stand up for what is right. To be a truly effective leader, you must have the tenacity to do this. I also believe in the quote that 'you catch more flies with honey,' and I think it is important to speak your truth in a respectful and kind fashion, and know when and how to have difficult conversations." Vickie White, Senior Vice President, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer for AdventHealth. "ere's no such thing as work-life balance. You have one WHOLE life. Free yourself of what is expected to happen during or outside work hours. Instead focus on your holistic prior- ities and be present in each moment." Karen Xie, PhD, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President at Blue Shield of California. "I was blessed to be raised in a family inspired by translating 'impossible' to 'I'm possible.' is mindset has been an enabler for my career advancement. As a tech execu- tive leader, I aspire to enable others. Too oen, women think they need more time to be ready, and sometimes later becomes never. Start before you are ready. Start now, where you are, with the pain and fear of the un- known. Start speaking up. Start raising your hand for that new job. Start now and don't stop — then you'll find yourself in the position to enable others and shape the future of technology, healthcare or any field you're passionate about." n Washington hospital makes first update to CEO job description in 10 years By Morgan Haefner B oard members of Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles, Wash., agreed to update its job description for hospital CEO after nearly a decade, according to Peninsula Daily News. The proposed change will "call out some of the major duties and re- sponsibilities that have evolved since the last time that this job de- scription was updated approximately a decade ago," the hospital's chief human resources officer Jennifer Burkhardt said, according to the newspaper. The proposed job description revamp comes as Olympic Medical Center's CEO Eric Lewis plans to retire May 1. Mr. Lewis became CEO in 2006. As board leaders search for a successor, they wanted to up- date what attributes they seek in a candidate that better reflect the needs of the current healthcare environment. It's not uncommon for organizations to wait until a position opens to update a job description. One survey found only 25 percent of human resources leaders updated job descriptions annually. How- ever, the Employers Council, a consulting firm, suggests updating job descriptions on a regular basis, either semiannually or annually, or when there is a significant change in responsibilities. n Female medical school department heads make less than male counterparts By Alia Paavola F emale department chairs at U.S. medical schools are paid $70,000 to $80,000 less than their male counterparts each year, an analysis of salary data from medical schools found. For the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers an- alyzed salary information of 550 department chairs from 29 public medical schools in 10 states. Researchers found that about 17 per- cent of the 550 positions were held by women. Researchers found that women who chair departments were paid an average of $373,000 per year, while their male colleagues earned about $452,000. After the researchers adjusted for academic productivity, special- ization and years on the job, they found the pay disparity still ex- isted, with women earning about $70,000 less per year than men. "When you adjust for all these factors, you still see a pay gap," said Eleni Linos, MD, a professor of dermatology at Stanford (Calif.) Uni- versity. "This calls into question the common explanations for gen- der disparities and highlights a pervasive structural problem that needs to be addressed. Women are regularly paid less than men, even at the highest levels of academic medicine." n

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