On May 12th, Dimensional Insight was honored to be one of the sponsors of Health Data Management’s inaugural Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT event at the Sheraton Boston. At this event, our VP of Customer Services, Susan Mays, had the honor of presenting awards to 75 influential women healthcare executives. The event also had several speakers who discussed the role of women in healthcare IT.
We were impressed not just with the women who attended the conference, but also with the quality of the panels and educational content. Here are 3 takeaways that we found from the event.
1. Women are making a huge impact in healthcare IT
Based on the women who attended the Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT event and those who received awards at the luncheon, there is no doubt that women are having a positive impact in the field and that they are making strides in healthcare IT.
During the conference, Allscripts presented the results of a Health Data Management research study about women in healthcare IT. Some of the key findings included:
- Women have had longer work histories in healthcare (75% have worked in healthcare for 16 or more years) than have men (54% have worked in healthcare for same length of time)
- More women than men entered healthcare out of college (48% vs. 18%)
- One-third of respondents said there are more women working in their department today than there were when they started.
2. There’s still progress that needs to be made in healthcare IT
Despite this progress, it’s also clear that there is still room for improvement, not only for women in the field, but also for minorities. Dr. Joan Reede, dean for diversity and community partnership at Harvard Medical School, discussed in her opening remarks the need for healthcare organizations to be inclusive in their hiring and mentoring. One quote from Reede that particularly resonated with me was when she said, “Don’t just ask who is in the room; ask who is not in the room.” Healthcare organizations need to be mindful of diversity and make sure they are hiring people of all different backgrounds and perspectives.
Other speakers also discussed the improvements that still need to be made, including Eileen Pollack, author of “The Only Woman in the Room: Why Science is Still a Boys’ Club,” who talked about the institutional barriers that prevent women from continuing in scientific fields, and Jennifer Joe, MD, founder of Medstro and editor-in-chief of MedTechBoston, who discussed the need to provide “safe spaces” for women in which their ideas are valued.
3. Values are important to healthcare IT leaders
What is important to women in healthcare IT? Besides simply doing the best at their jobs, many of the women who spoke during the event talked about the importance of bringing values into their work. Joan Reede discussed the importance of linking diversity initiatives to an organization’s mission. In addition, Jan Lee, MD, CEO of Delaware Health Information Network, talked about how it’s important in her role to treat her employees – and vendors – with respect. She discussed how her organization will not enter into agreements with others that will put one of the parties at a disadvantage. She stressed that it must be a “win-win” for everybody involved.
Saluting the most powerful women in healthcare IT
Susan Mays, VP of Customer Services
As our VP of Customer Services, Susan Mays, said in her welcoming remarks at the conference luncheon, “We decided to support this event because of the many women information technologists who are our customers… They are women who every day put their best feet forward in order to improve the financial health of their hospitals and the physical health of their patients.”
Thank you to all of you who work so hard for your hospitals and for your patients. We look forward to seeing you at the next Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT event next year!
Ready for a test drive of our healthcare analytics software?
Kathy started her career in television news writing and producing. She then worked at a public relations agency and as a freelance writer before joining Dimensional Insight in 2013.
Kathy has presented at several events in both healthcare and wine & spirits, including the Healthcare Innovation Summit, the Healthcare IT Marketing & PR Conference (HITMC), and the WSWA Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) Conference. Kathy is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and a member of Women of the Vine & Spirits.
She is also host of the Smarter Healthcare Podcast (www.smarthcpodcast.com) and is a member of the Forbes Communications Council.
Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Boston University.
- Solving Hospital CEOs’ Pressing Challenges With Analytics - April 15, 2024
- Navigating the Wellness Wave: Wine & Spirits Data Strategy - April 9, 2024
- Takeaways from HIMSS24 - March 26, 2024
