SJBiz_Women In Health Care Dept_1022FINAL.qxp_Dept 10 / 11 / 22 2 : 55 PM Page 1 W O M E N I N H E A L T H C A R E Q & A Statistics show that women make up a large percentage of the workforce in the health care industry and the number of female executives is growing , al - For more insight though there is still much work to be from these female done in that area . Are you optimistic health care leaders , about the changes taking place and do visit SouthJerseyBiz.net . you feel there are more opportunities for advancement today than when you first started in your career ? AMY MANSUE , PRESIDENT AND CEO , INSPIRA HEALTH Following COVID , I am more concerned than ever that par - ents , but especially women , have had to make the Hobson’s choice of the priori - tization of their fam - ily or their career . There is always a delicate balance , but at this time with the cost of childcare and after - school options — let alone the limited availabil - ity — it is even more challenging . It is a fallacy that a person can be everything and do everything , in all aspects of their life . We all do the best we can , but there are tradeoffs . There are certainly oppor - tunities for advancement , but the playing Changing field is not quite level yet . Certain activi - ties that can be important to career ad - vancement are often more available to men . Golf outings and dinners are good examples . In some cases , women aren’t the Narrative invited or family commitments might keep them from participating . There is While there remain fewer leadership opportunities in health still work to be done when it comes to care for women than men , female executives in South how individuals and society view career Jersey are doing their part to push the industry forward . paths and opportunities for men versus women . [ Edited by Matt Cosentino ] rom one generation to the next , women have consistently SUSAN BONFIELD , ESQ . , made significant contributions to health care , and their influ - EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND ence in the field continues to be undeniable . According to re - GENERAL COUNSEL , DEBORAH cent studies , women represent more than 70 % of the work - HEART AND LUNG CENTER force professionals in health care worldwide , and also account I am absolutely opti - for a majority of the graduates in medicine and health sciences . mistic about future F Yet growth in leadership roles has not kept pace with those leadership opportu - numbers , with only 15 % of health system CEO positions being filled by women in 2021 nities for women , es - and only a quarter of senior leadership titles belonging to women across the globe . pecially in health Progress has been slow , but there are signs of encouragement , particularly here care . When I joined in South Jersey , where several major health systems have given female executives an Deborah Heart and opportunity to showcase what women can bring to leadership roles , such as an in - Lung Center in 2005 , creased focus on diversity and providing employees with work - life balance . I was the first and South Jersey Biz spoke to several female executives at local hospitals and health only female vice care organizations to learn more about where they see the industry going , the re - president in the organization . [ Seven - sponsibility they feel to set an example for younger women and the need for women teen ] years later , I am an executive vice to have a voice in how health care is delivered . president working directly with the pres - 24 | SOUTH JERSEY BIZ | VOLUME 12 ISSUE 10 | SouthJerseyBiz.net