On July 19-20, the Women of Impact gathered for an annual meeting that was held at the headquarters of AcademyHealth in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, the Women of Impact welcomed new members, explored their personal and professional legacies, and devised strategies to advance gender equity, diversity, and inclusion in health care.
Five years ago, female healthcare executives from across the U.S. united to form Women of Impact (WOI), a coalition dedicated to promoting gender equity in the industry and to fixing "broken windows" related to cost, quality, policy, and innovation. The coalition, which is a partner of JHF's Women's Health Activist Movement (WHAMglobal) organization, has grown to include nearly 50 executive-level decision-makers from all aspects of the industry.
Karen Feinstein shared the mission and goals of WHAMglobal, which is committed to identifying the root causes of maternal mortality and supporting mothers and families through the entirety of their care. Christine Malcolm, MBA, director at Salt Creek Advisors, LLC, offered an overview of the Carol Emmott Fellowship—a program that builds the leadership skills of women through health improvement projects and mentorship. Malcolm serves as the executive director of the Fellowship program. Dave Anderson, PhD, a senior consultant for BDC Advisors, then led a discussion on forming a gender equity collaborative in partnership with some of the country's leading healthcare companies. To wrap up the meeting's first day, WOI members explored women representation on boards with Debbie McCormack, managing director of Deloitte's Center for Board Effectiveness.
Day two kicked off with a state of WOI address from Joanne Conroy, MD, president and CEO of DartmouthHitchcock and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health. JHF Women's Health Specialist Kate Dickerson, MSc, shared insights on WOI's communications channels (including a revamped website and active Twitter handle), and then members brainstormed ways to build the WOI brand with Rimjhim Dey, owner of DEY. Ideas + Influence.
Find out more about the Women of Impact by visiting womenofImpact.net, and sign up for the newsletter for all of the latest member news.