Providing Healing, Promoting Hope - AHA Celebrates Women Health Care Workers During National Women’s History Month

This year’s theme for National Women’s History Month is Providing Healing, Promoting Hope. There really is no better time to acknowledge and pay tribute to the enormous contributions of women health care workers and caregivers who have provided far more than healing and hope throughout the pandemic.  

Women have found themselves being all things to all people — all at the same time.

Women make up a majority of the health care workforce. According to recent findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 85% of nursing and health care support occupations on the front line are held by women.

While some care providers could turn to telehealth during the pandemic, those on the front line had to perform their tasks in person. And, with hospitals and health systems remaining open 24/7 throughout the pandemic, these women were always there to care for patients. They dealt with the challenges of treating and communicating with COVID patients and their families. They watched as individuals suffered and comforted them as they died.

And, for those women leading health care organizations, they rose to the occasion. Their ability to listen, collaborate, inspire and develop solutions have been a valuable resource for their teams. The most recent Women in the Workplace report from the consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that women leaders have done more than men in similar positions to support the workforce.

Women balanced these obligations with incredibly demanding lives outside of work.

They were caregivers for children, spouses and elderly family members. As day care centers closed and schools shifted to virtual learning, they became the primary child care providers, teaching assistants, tech support and guidance counselors for their children.

They worried about the safety of their families. They managed the complete lack of predictability the pandemic provided — as society opened and closed and guidance from public health officials continuously evolved.  

Women also have faced an increase in domestic violence, and those in the health care setting have endured alarming increases in workplace violence.

That stress and trauma has taken its toll. Female front-line workers have higher rates of anxiety, depression and suicide, according to a 2021 article in the Journal of Pulmonology.

One in four women who reported becoming unemployed during the pandemic said it was because of child care — double the rate of men, according to a July 2020 article in the Washington Post. Another study, which was featured in Healthcare Dive, found that mothers with young children reduced their work hours four times as much as fathers. As women left the work force, the burden significantly increased for those that remained.

It is not all doom and gloom, however. Over the last few weeks, I connected with several women, who are leading hospitals and health systems, to find out how they were addressing this challenge. These women, who are listed below, each offered ways their organizations were supporting and easing the burden of women in their workforce.

Each shared that throughout the pandemic, her organization increased financial support for their workforce, including increased compensation and/or bonuses. One leader shared her organization’s new "paid time-off-buy-back" program, which allows employees to cash out a certain amount of unused vacation or paid time-off balance at 100% of its full value. Another shared that they allowed team members to incur negative paid time-off balances. Two mentioned they have developed employee relief funds that help staff in need. Many of these leaders mentioned that they will continue to reinvent benefits and offer new ones as they move forward.

Each individual shared how their organizations provided relief in the form of child care. That ranged from offering paid leave and child care grants or day care discounts, to offering and expanding on-site child care. Several mentioned that their companies offered emergency child care options, including allowing staff to bring their kids to work. One organization offered eldercare support as well.

Flexibility also was critical, including more flexibility around scheduling and shifts. One leader shared that she was grateful many on her team were willing to cross-train, so that they could be flexible in where they were working in the hospital. In addition, many were embracing remote work for those that could work remotely. For example, administrative staff or clinical staff that could provide services through telehealth and other virtual care solutions.

And, they all addressed wellness and mental health. Some hospitals now have onsite wellness rooms or retreat spaces to allow health care workers to find balance and quiet. They have offered virtual and live support sessions that provide access to chaplaincy and counseling services. One system sent thousands of care kits to nurses’ homes. Another launched a 24/7 helpline to connect women with child care providers, mental health and wellness programs and other social needs.

While many of these strategies are here to stay, each leader shared they will not be enough for the future. Women need greater and more long-lasting support.

Every leader I spoke with suggested that one of the best ways to support women is to promote them to leadership roles at every level. Women make up the majority of the health care workforce; they also make 80% of buying and health care usage decisions. Yet, according to a report from the consulting firm Oliver Wyman, only 30% of C-suite teams and 13% of chief executive officers are women.

Continued work to advance career leadership and development opportunities for women, especially women of color, will give them a voice as hospitals and health systems rethink how we deliver care, modernize policies, and create environments that support the retention and recruitment of women in health care.

And, perhaps, that may be the best way to celebrate women this month and always.

Thank you to these hospital and health system leaders for contributing to this blog:

Nancy Howell Agee, president & CEO, Carilion Clinic; Brooke Buckley, chief medical officer, Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital; Christina Campos, administrator, Guadalupe County Hospital; Melinda L. Estes, president & CEO, Saint Luke’s Health System; Peggy Harris, regional chief diversity officer, Atrium Health; Mary Beth Kingston, chief nursing officer, Advocate Aurora Health Care; Janet A. Liang, executive vice president, group president and chief operating officer, care delivery, Kaiser Permanente; and Rachelle Schultz, president & CEO, Winona Health.

Priya Bathija, J.D., MHSA, is vice president of strategic initiatives at the American Hospital Association where she oversees The Value Initiative and efforts related to maternal and child health and the societal factors that influence health. She also serves as vice president of operations for AHA’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity.