Since the days of Florence Nightingale, women have been the cornerstone of health care, today making up 70 percent of the workforce. Across the industry, from hospitals to biomedical research, women leaders are taking on important roles that I believe will improve health care access and outcomes. Compassion and empathy are not about being soft or wishy-washy – women health care leaders I’ve worked have mostly been good listeners, but they don’t shy away from tough issues or decisions. Karen Lynch said at the Forbes Healthcare Summit that “health care is incredibly personal ... it starts and ends with the consumer.”Mentoring tends to be important to women leaders in health care as well. One reason the number of women health care executives is growing is the willingness of women leaders to help develop the leadership potential in other women, rather than seeing them as threats.

Source: Forbes December 30, 2023 19:03 UTC