Becker's Hospital Review

64 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP POPULATION HEALTH ney we have been on over the last two years. Our responsibil- ity as leaders is to bring the voices that are closest to the work to the front of our thoughts, our decisions and our actions. By empowering our teams, we create an environment that is more exciting and interesting and will make us stronger, safer and higher quality. It is critical that we commit to deeply listening and understanding what we need and the impact those changes can have on others throughout our healthcare system and the communities we serve. Creating a culture of speaking up and belonging means embracing how we choose to show up for our employees, our patients and our communities. Ellen Street. Executive Vice President, Cardiac Safety and Precision Motion, Clario (Philadelphia). In liing our voices about what fuels our passions, women in leadership roles can help the next generation recognize translatable STEM skills that can serve them well in careers in the life sciences. I was inspired by the women who influenced my path in health technology, and now my mission extends to guiding female professionals into leadership roles. If you are not already engaged with stu- dents and programs to build relationships and mentorships, I encourage you to seek opportunities today. Let's give back to help build a future for these young women, as did the women who paved the way for us. Katie Szyman. Corporate Vice President of Critical Care, Ed- wards Lifesciences (Irvine, Calif.). Early in my career working in the medtech field, 90 percent of the time I was the only woman in the room. As the executive sponsor of our network for women, I am proud to be part of an organization that provides an oppor- tunity for women to work together to inspire the next generation of women leaders. e best innovation comes from diversity of thought and diversity of experience, and I believe that medtech is an unbelievably attractive space for women leaders in the future. For women thinking about a career in technology, I want to say you can do it. Go for it. Alice Taylor. CEO, Broward Health North (Deerfield Beach, Fla.). Not too long ago, I overheard my son say "My mom leads from the front." is phrase perfectly sums up my work philoso- phy. I attribute much of my success to the fact that I play an active and visible role in the everyday running of Broward Health North. For me, leadership goes beyond influencing others. Effective lead- ers also lead from behind and guide their teams to innovate. is allows the collective genius to take shape and creates a world in which people want to belong. I encourage up-and-coming women leaders in healthcare to connect with their medical staff and team members as oen as possible, and to stay closely aligned with pa- tients and the community served. Also, it's important to be attuned to your professional and personal needs. Keep in mind as women that we oen think we can do it all. A work-life balance must be a priority. As part of Women's History Month, take the time to cele- brate yourself and all the past, present and future women leaders. Ena Williams, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital. Leadership is about creating an environment where others feel a sense of belonging and inclusion and feel that their voices are heard. Sometimes, women, and especially women of color, feel that their opinions don't matter or that they may be perceived as insignificant. As a result, women may retreat or become silent. As leaders, we must create space for all to feel a sense of equity in what they have to say or contribute. Don't ignore the silent ones. When you enter a room, use your eyes and ears to listen and recognize others who may be silent. Being significant is key for women leaders, and that begins with insight and understanding of self and others. n Louisville health department leader saves passenger on flight By Georgina Gonzalez T he associate medical director of the Louisville (Ky.) Metro Health Department, SarahBeth Hartlage, MD, answered the call to action on a flight to treat a pas- senger, the Courier Journal reported March 16. Dr. Hartlage was on a flight to Orlando, Fla., when the flight attendant called for a physician. She headed to the back of the plane, along with another physician and a nurse, to attend to a man who had suffered a medical emergency. She managed to insert an IV and listen to the man's heart using a stethoscope, all while kneeling in the aisle dealing with turbulence. Thanks to their help, the man's condition was kept stable enough for the plane not to have to make an emergency landing. He was not alert when landing but was met by an on-ground EMS crew. "Adrenaline is something I'm very used to," Dr. Hartlage told the Courier Journal, "but I have never done it on an airplane and certainly not one in turbulent skies. It was an interesting day, and I'm happy that it worked out. I hope he's doing well." n How the pandemic affected pay of women in healthcare By Georgina Gonzalez D uring the economic downturn caused by the pan- demic, for the first time ever, more women than men lost their jobs in the U.S. The disproportionate bur- den of caregiving for women and segregation of occupation coalesced to hit women hard during the pandemic, contrib- uting to 11.9 million women losing their jobs, according to a March 15 report from the Department of Labor. The report reveals the enormous financial and social effects of the pandemic on women in the healthcare workforce: 1. Women saw a 78.8 percent loss of jobs in the healthcare and education sector between 2019 and 2020 with Black and Hispanic women seeing disproportionate losses compared to their prevalence in the workforce. 2. Women tend to be overrepresented in some of the lowest paid occupations, including home health aides, which earn an average of $587 a week and are 84.1 percent women. 3. Losses in leisure and hospitality, government and educa- tion and health services made up for over half of the total job losses and 61.8 percent of women's losses. n

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