Becker's Hospital Review

WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP 31 Net worth of male vs. female physicians By Mackenzie Bean S ixty-six percent of male physicians reported a family net worth of at least $1 million last year, compared to just 52% of female physicians, according to Medscape's Female Physician Wealth & Debt Report. e report, based on survey responses from 7,000 U.S. physicians practicing across more than 29 specialties, offers a glimpse into wealth disparities between male and female physicians. Responses were collected between Oct. 2, 2023, and Jan. 16, 2024. Below is a breakdown of household net worth reported by male and female physicians. e figures illustrate a noticeable wealth gap, particularly at higher net worth levels. Male physicians were more likely to report a household net worth of $2 million or more, while female physicians were more commonly in lower net worth brackets. e largest proportion of female respondents (29%) reported a net worth of less than $500,000. n Household net worth Female physicians Male physicians ≥ $5 million 7% 14% $2 million to $5 million 23% 31% $1 million to $1,999,999 22% 21% $500,000 to $999,999 19% 13% <$500,000 29% 21% Women more likely to be interim leaders By Kristin Kuchno W omen appointed as CEOs in 2024 have been more likely to serve on an interim basis than their male counterparts, according to a Nov. 26 report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. This trend marks a shift from 2023, when men and women were named interim CEOs 7% of the time across industries. As of October 2024, 14% of women named CEOs were interim leaders, compared to 11% of male CEOs, according to the report. "Women continue to face barriers in achieving permanent leadership roles," Senior Vice President Andrew Challenger said in the report. "Organizations need to focus on equitable opportunities for long-term leadership success or risk hits to their employer brand, ability to recruit and retain talent, and ultimately, the bottom line." In healthcare, interim leaders have increasingly transitioned into permanent roles, according to Adam Burns, interim leadership principal at executive search firm WittKieffer. Over a 10-year period, interim hospital and health system leaders assumed permanent roles 4% to 5% of the time. That figure has spiked to more than 10% in the past 18 to 24 months, Mr. Burns previously told Becker's. "It's a really tough environment. When an organization feels like they found a talented leader, they don't hesitate to try to secure them on a permanent basis," Mr. Burns said, citing industrywide financial challenges as a possible driver of this trend. "They're more willing to make an offer to keep them if they've been in the role for a period as an interim and done great work." n

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