Becker's Hospital Review

37 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP Meet 8 women leading medical societies and associations in the United States By Kelly Gooch F or the female physicians across the U.S. who head medical societies and associ- ations, the experience is more than an opportunity to represent colleagues in their chosen practice, it's also a chance to advocate for them on healthcare issues. Below are eight of them: 1. Susan Bailey, MD. President of the Amer- ican Medical Association. Dr. Bailey became the 175th president of the American Medical Association June 7. She is the third consecu- tive woman to assume the office. An allergist from Texas, she has worked with Fort Worth Allergy and Asthma Associates for more than three decades and serves on the board of di- rectors of the Accreditation Council for Con- tinuing Medical Education. 2. Eva Chalas, MD. President of the Ameri- can College of Obstetricians and Gynecol- ogists. Dr. Chalas became the 71st president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists April 25. She is a profes- sor and vice chair of obstetrics and gyne- cology at New York University Long Island School of Medicine, a partnership between New York University and New York City- based NYU Langone Health. She also serves as physician director at the Perlmutter Can- cer Center at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. 3. Anne Coleman, MD, PhD. President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Coleman became the 124th president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in January, leading 32,000 ophthalmologist members. Dr. Coleman is a glaucoma spe- cialist and director of the UCLA Stein Eye Institute's Center for Community Outreach and Policy in Los Angeles. 4. Jacqueline Winfield Fincher, MD. Presi- dent of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Fincher serves as president of a medical specialty organization with 159,000 mem- bers worldwide. An internal medicine spe- cialist, she is a partner at Center for Primary Care – McDuffie Medical in omson, Ga. Dr. Fincher also served as a member of the American College of Physicians Board of Re- gents and was governor of the organization's Georgia Chapter. 5. Sara "Sally" Goza, MD. President of the American Academy of Pediatrics. On Jan. 1, Dr. Goza became president of the Amer- ican Academy of Pediatrics, a group with 67,000 members. A general pediatrician, she serves on the Community Physicians Advisory Board for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Dr. Goza is a 20-plus-year veteran of the American Academy of Pediatricians Georgia chapter, most recently serving on the legislative committee, the fall planning group and the Pediatric Foundation of Georgia board. 6. Mary Dale Peterson, MD. President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Dr. Peterson was named president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in Oc- tober. She is board-certified in anesthesiology and critical care medicine, and she has served on the American Society of Anesthesiologists board for 14 years. In addition to her work with the medical society, she is executive vice president and COO of Driscoll Health System and emeritus staff at Driscoll Children's Hos- pital in Corpus Christi, Texas. 7. Athena Poppas, MD. President of the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Pop- pas became president of the American Col- lege of Cardiology in March. Outside of that role, she is chief of cardiology and professor of medicine at Brown University's medical school in Providence, R.I. She also is direc- tor of the Cardiovascular Institute at Rhode Island, e Miriam and Newport hospitals. 8. Valerie Rusch, MD. President of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Rusch has served as president of the American Col- lege of Surgeons since October. A thoracic surgeon from New York City, she is vice chair for clinical research, department of surgery; Miner Family chair in Intrathoracic Cancers; and attending surgeon, thoracic service, de- partment of surgery, Memorial Sloan Ketter- ing Cancer Center. Dr. Rusch also serves as professor of surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and was one of the nation's first wom- en to be board-certified in thoracic surgery. n How an Ohio hospital addressed the needs of its 84% female workforce By Kelly Gooch T he COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on women in the healthcare workforce as they strive more than ever to balance work and home responsibilities. Akron (Ohio) Children's Hospital — which has a female CEO and 84 percent female workforce — has taken various steps to address the specific needs of its workers during this time, according to Cleveland.com. COO Lisa Aurilio told the publication it did not lay off or fire any workers, and about one-third of the hospital's 6,000 employees worked from home ear- ly during the pandemic, including IT and finance workers. Akron Children's employees also received daily emails and video messages from CEO Grace Wakulchik and other leaders, and the hospital formed a resiliency committee to help support workers. "We know that many of our employees are primary caregivers to children or their elderly parents," Ms. Aurilio told Cleveland.com. "So, immediately, we started putting some things in place." The hospital's other efforts include offering free and confidential counseling services and employee assistance for workers and their children; opening a grocery store at the facility so workers can buy essential items before they head home; and providing entertainment options such as downloadable mov- ies and activities for families. n

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