Teri Fontenot
President and CEO
Woman’s Hospital, Baton Rouge, La.
What role do women have as decision-makers/leaders in today's healthcare sector?
The role of women leaders in today’s healthcare is really no different than men. Healthcare leaders must be visionary, change agents, and able to inspire others to provide high quality, efficient, accessible and affordable care. It’s a huge responsibility, and our patients and communities deserve the best thinkers and fully dedicated teams to achieve these goals.
The traits that women inherently possess and make them effective leaders are often different than men. Women tend to be more collaborative and empathetic, although there are many men that exhibit these traits. Women are also natural nurturers, multi-taskers and communicators, which are skills that are highly desirable in today’s healthcare environment.
What do women bring to the table to shape the future of healthcare?
Women make up the overwhelming majority of the healthcare workforce, and are able to provide a perspective that is unique from men. In addition, because more women are becoming physicians, the relationship between healthcare executives and management will be more team-oriented, accountable, and shift from the traditional ‘captain of the ship’ to ‘leader of the multidisciplinary team.’ Increasing patient expectations of transparency and active involvement in decisions about their care are emerging trends that suit women’s leadership styles and skill sets. No longer is a transaction-based management style with a small group making decisions effective; the ability to transform and engage others are key success factors - traits that most women embrace and practice.
What do you personally believe should be the path forward to better care and lower costs?
Making decisions based on the best interest of the patient; transparency and accountability in clinical performance; integrating care with all providers and eliminating fragmentation; providing nontraditional care and support, particularly for patients with chronic conditions to help them manage their illness and improve their quality of life; and setting reasonable expectations about human mortality. Patients should be given information about choices, empowered to make a personal decision regarding their care for terminal illness and supported.
Interviewed by Stephanie Bouchard as part of the Women in Healthcare series. Go to www.healthcarefinancenews.com/women-in-healthcare to read all the interviews in the series.