Becker's Hospital Review

50 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP POPULATION HEALTH Jennifer Meade. Division President of Breast and Skeletal Health Solutions at Hologic. Women play a critical role in healthcare as the primary decision-maker of care for their families. It's our responsibility as industry leaders to ensure their voices and perspectives are well represented within our organizations. For me, that means women not only need to be represented in leadership, but they need to be actively involved in ev- erything from innovation to marketing and the delivery of care. In fact, new research has shown a positive correlation between female physicians and patient outcomes, especially when female physicians are treating female patients. What does this mean? A diverse industry that is more reflective of the patient population served is going to have the great- est impact on health outcomes. Alefiyah Mesiwala, MD. CMO of Humana Military. Two things that have been critical for me: learning to "give myself an A" and de- veloping an ability to listen to feedback with curiosity, even if it is not what I want to al- ways hear. For a long time, I have been harsh- ly critical of myself, always worried about whether I was good enough. Aer enough risk-taking and life lessons, I've learned that the only rules that matter are the ones I set for myself. is has been liberating and more importantly, has allowed me to get out of my head and be more present in life whether it is work, my family or the things I care about. A big part of this journey I credit to the peo- ple in my life who in addition to sharing their life lessons with me have been willing to pro- vide me honest feedback that has forced me to stop, reflect and continue to grow into the best version of myself. Rosanna Morris, RN. COO of e Univer- sity of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston). e future is not something we enter. e future is something we create. is sentiment resonates with me because it re- affirms that we always have choices and are in control of our destiny despite the changes around us. Carla Parker-Hollis. COO of Jersey City (N.J.) Medical Center-RWJBarnabas Health. International Women's Day reminds us all that healthcare is not a one-size-fits-all en- deavor. As the entire continuum of care ad- vances — from clinical trials, new technology and preventive care to bedside interactions — women's specific requirements must continue to be addressed. Medical professionals must pay particular attention to disease states in women that present in distinctive ways. Heart disease is an example of targeted education to women that has saved countless lives. rough advocacy and outreach, women's health will continue to advance and remain front and center in our health equity journey. Jennifer Peters. Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at LifePoint Health. Leadership is not — and should never be — defined by gender. A great leader is a great leader. roughout my ca- reer, I have benefited from both women and men who have served as mentors and cham- pions, opening doors and advocating for me. I believe that being intentional about paying that forward is one of my greatest responsibil- ities as a leader — especially to purposefully raise up those who may have been tradition- ally overlooked in this space, like women, so that leadership becomes more reflective of the people and environments it represents. Sonia Ramamoorthy, MD. Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery and Associate Profes- sor at UC San Diego Health. Women are the best advocates for women. Build each other up, li each other higher and push each other forward. I celebrate this today and every day. Rebecca Sartor. Executive Director of LifeS- tance Health. Take risks, put yourself out there and be your genuine self. Humility and confidence are not mutually exclusive. Sur- round yourself with mentors and leaders who inspire you, support you and critique you constructively. Remember that having a new idea and seeing an opportunity for change or improvement does not warrant an apology. Initially, as I forged ahead toward my vision of personal and professional growth, I was met with naysayers and resistance. I worked diligently to not internalize this and develop healthy ego strength. Lastly, give back: Take the time to nurture and mentor young wom- en leaders. ere is nothing more rewarding than being part of another person's journey of growth and empowerment. Talya Schwartz, MD. President and CEO of MetroPlusHealth. My leadership style likely derived from my time as a practicing physi- cian, which trained me to listen to patients first before using my medical education and experience to prescribe a diagnosis. I have taken this approach, in a very intention- al and deliberate way, to the C-Suite, oen thinking of our various stakeholders — em- ployees, partners, members and others — as "patients." Essentially, I lead by listening first. And then I tailor solutions based on their needs. ose needs are not always identical, and the complexity of leadership oen lies in our ability to listen intently and diagnose ef- fectively, while realizing that each stakeholder is vastly different. Nneka Sederstrom, PhD. Chief Health Eq- uity Officer of Hennepin Healthcare (Min- neapolis). I am proud to be part of a long line of strong African and African Amer- ican women leaders who have shown me what it means to lead. My spirit and drive comes from knowing they sacrificed to en- sure I could make my own way, unchained. Oentimes we women, especially women of color, accept not truly being seen. We wor- ry about the possible side effects of being noticed too much and sacrifice ourselves in order to maintain the status quo. I challenge this thinking because the truth is, you can't be what you can't see. e next generation of young women of color need to see that it is OK to be their whole entire self, unchained, and lead. at is the only way to normalize women, especially women of color, in lead- ership. I aspire to be seen as an authentic and unapologetic African American woman lead- er for all the young women who need to know they, too, can be. Becky Speight. CFO and Administrator of Crescent Medical Center Lancaster (Texas). A trait that has been very important to me during the last decade as a leader has been consistency — the team knows what to expect and they can rely on you showing up. In our hectic healthcare environment, consistency is a way to build trust that lasts. I think Dwayne "'e Rock" Johnson says it best: "Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consis- tency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come." Michelle Williams. Dean of the Facul- ty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Boston). As the first Black dean and first female dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, I'm certainly proud of breaking down racial and gender barriers. But for me, leadership isn't about celebrating my own achievements; it is about celebrating those who came before me and those who will follow. I've always had to work twice as hard for half the recognition, so I want to make sure that all individuals — especially Black and Latinx individuals — get their proper due. It's the best advice and biggest lesson I've taken to heart. n

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