26 Modern Healthcare | August 19, 2019
A road map to boost women and minorities
into the senior ranks of healthcare
By Michellene DavisA
s the first woman and person of color to rise to executive vice president at one of the
largest healthcare systems in my state, I can personally attest to both the possibility and
the difficulty of working to shatter healthcare glass ceilings for women and people of
color. I have learned that getting there is only half the journey. Institutions rightfully focus on
hiring and career advancement, but well-intentioned leaders—including those who aim to
create inclusive workplaces—are often unaware of what true inclusion looks like.Michellene
Davis is
executive vice
president and
chief corporate
affairs officer at
RWJBarnabas
Health.Many who believe they are an ally
may not know how to be one in prac-
tice. I have witnessed many missed
opportunities to be more inclusive.
My viewpoint comes from being a
member of demographic subgroups
that have historically been excluded.
Rather than blaming people for not
being more aware, I want to help each
of us realize what being an ally might
require in order to translate “good
people’s” desire to help into concrete
actions.- Instead of viewing inclusion
as a matter of checking a box, appre-
ciate how representation of women
and people of color in leadership po-
sitions can enrich decisionmaking by
increasing diversity of thought. - Understand that since most
women serve as the “chief medical
officer” for their families and others,
they are ideally equipped to take on
similar roles within healthcare. - Value the indispensable fac-
tor of experience. Include not just
women, but women and men of color
in every candidate pool, promotional
slate and succession plan. I was once
on a call when a colleague responded
to the maternal mortality disparity of
black women dying at a rate five times
that of their white counterparts in our
state as “being no better nor no worse
on average than any other state.” De-
veloping a strategic response to such a
public health crisis should have been
the action.- At a meeting where everyone
looks the same, stop and ask: Whom
might we be able to add? Often unifor-
mity of people in a meeting is symp-
tomatic of a deeper issue: Leaders
within your institution may be major-
ity male or mainstream. Think about
whether you have made achieving
equity a strategic priority. I once par-
ticipated in a recruiting process and
when asked why past searches had
not produced diverse candidates, the
search firm’s response was that the
organization had never mentioned
that diversity was a priority. - Use your voice/platform/po-
sition to advance an equity agenda.
An ally is the person who speaks up
and asks questions about inclusivity
so that the few minorities or women
in the room do not have the burden
of doing so every time. An ally has a
greater chance of not being labeled as
confrontational or emotional.- Appreciate that microaggres-
sions occur daily and strive to avoid
committing them. Does the state-
ment I am about to say assume a
stereotype? Am I about to insert a
euphemism based on what I assume
about the race or ethnic background
of the person to whom I am speak-
ing? Would I say this statement if this
person were of another ethnicity?
Since trust is earned, has my interac-
tion with this person earned the trust
that permits me to be familiar? - Look for ways to be inclusive.
I have a white male colleague who
goes out of his way to bring others
to the table. He walks into the room
and walks back out in order to bring
in those whose work portfolios nat-
urally intersect with the topic being
discussed, but who were perhaps in-
advertently left out.
As we continue to examine health-
care disparities and understand that
they needlessly persist because of the
ways in which our industry and his-
torical systems have contributed to
them, we must begin to acknowledge
that those closest to the pain should be
helping to solve the problem. l