In honor of last month’s Women’s History Month, Healthcare Finance News asked some of the women leaders in the nation’s healthcare industry to talk about the role of women in healthcare. Those conversations take us into April.
Today, we hear from Julie Freischlag, MD. In a medical specialty traditionally dominated by men, Freischlag has bucked the trend. She is the surgeon-in-chief of Johns Hopkins Hospital and chair of the hospital’s department of surgery. Freischlag is also known around the country as a respected instructor and researcher. She is the editor of the Archives of Surgery and co-chair of the annual International Women in Surgery Career Symposium.
Q: What role do women have as decision-makers/leaders in today's healthcare sector?
A: We’re seeing more women in roles such as chief operating officer or department chair. More women are in leadership positions in general, where they’ll be able to influence the sector more. There has been an increased number of women in medical school, so in the last five years we’ve seen more women in healthcare leadership positions. I think more of the decisions will be made by women than in the past just because they have the opportunity to lead. Women will be able to make quality and quantity decisions that are necessary to move healthcare forward. Women, by and large, tend to be team players. Women tend to do consensus better among colleagues and they tend to be better listeners. Many probably got to be leaders starting at different positions – such as in nursing or social work, so they have broader sense of what patients need. They ask what constituents need and gather feedback from all members of the team to help make decisions.
Q: What do women bring to the table to shape the future of healthcare?
A: They bring a different point of view – the way women think of healthcare is a little different. Women tend to determine healthcare for their families so they look at it from a more personal point of view – what if that was me, or my family? Women come from various backgrounds, which enhances healthcare discussions so that all alternatives are explored. If everyone shares the same point of view, all will agree on the topic but not all aspects will be discussed.
Q: What do you personally believe should be the path forward to better care and lower costs?
A: I think it’s multifactorial. Patients need to be better educated. We need to start teaching patients about health and the aspects leading to better health. We need to start educating them when they’re in grade school. They need to learn about preventative measures and family history that may repeat in their healthcare profiles. There needs to be more enlightenment about care and what they need to do to receive it. Especially in inner cities, patients routinely seek care in emergencies, do not seek preventative care. The path forward requires patient education, access to physicians and other healthcare practitioners, and access to tertiary and quandary care. Patients need to have easy access and information, and to focus more on preventative care to help control costs. There needs to be a connection between the healthcare system, the primary care health network, and knowing when to deliver patients when more complicated care is required.
Follow HFN associate editor Stephanie Bouchard on Twitter @SBouchardHFN.