Celebrating Women’s History Month, ImagineSoftware proudly presented, “You Can’t Spell HEalthcaRe without HER” webinar series, showcasing the inspiring female healthcare professionals that are making a difference in their field. Our guests, an incredible lineup of women from the Emergency Department Practice Management Association (EDPMA) Board of Directors, will be sharing their unique perspectives on how they are navigating the healthcare industry’s challenges, balancing personal and professional lives, and inspiring fellow female leaders to follow their passions. This blog features highlights from the Women in Emergency Medicine Webinar.
Featuring
- Jackie Willett, Senior Vice President of R1 RCM
- Julie Ford Smith, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Optimization with Zoll
- Dr. Andrea Brault, President and CEO of Brault Practice Solutions
- Courtney Franco, Vice President of Sales with ImagineSoftware
Challenges Women Face in the Healthcare Industry
Women in healthcare face many challenges due to their underrepresentation at the executive level. According to the World Health Organization, women make up 70% of the global health care sector workforce but only 25% of leadership positions. The panelists discuss strategies to combat these challenges and create a more equitable environment for women in the field of Emergency Medicine.
"It is really important to (navigate) overcoming challenges, understanding yourself, understanding where you're getting in the way, spending the time to fix that, and then finding people who you can admire and look towards."
-Julie Ford Smith, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Optimization with Zoll
Dr. Andrea Brault shared her that early in her career there were many times she would be the only female in the room and expressed the anxiety and intimidation she felt. She overcame some of that anxiety by reminding herself, "I'm here as a leader and you're a leader and you're a leader...let's just get this solved together." She added, "It was easy to feel intimidated and easy to not take a seat at the table when, in fact, I was there to take a seat at the table."
Juggling Professional and Personal Life
Being a woman in the healthcare industry comes with its own unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to balancing work and home life. As a result, women must be creative and resourceful when trying to balance their commitments at home and at work.
Courtney Franco shared, "I'm trying to navigate [raising two young children and an aging mother] ...so, my husband and I just have to sit down and we do what we call 'reshuffling the deck', where if we had a responsibility before, maybe those aren't the same responsibilities that we need to have now." She emphasizes that open, honest, and vulnerable communication with those around you is so important.
Dr. Andrea Brault agrees that being very clear about your limits and boundaries is so important, as well as asking for help when you need it. She recommends knowing when to say, "I cannot take all this on."
The Future is Female
With the rise in technology and advancements in automation, there is an increased demand for highly skilled professionals who can manage complex billing processes and women are well-positioned to take advantage of this growth and become leaders in the industry. Women bring a unique perspective that can help drive innovation and increase efficiency. Additionally, more organizations are recognizing the value of diversity and actively seeking out female candidates with specialized skillsets to fill open positions in medical billing departments. As such, women have a great opportunity to break into this field and make an impact on its future development.
"One of things that women do exceptionally well is empathy, and I think that's incredibly helpful in emergency medicine,” states Julie Ford Smith. Julie also mentions how women tend to be better multitaskers, which is vitally important in Emergency Medicine.
Jackie Willett outlined how her organization is positioning themselves in the ever-changing world of medical billing, "For my team, we have to remain very nimble, very flexible, because as emergency physicians start to explore other revenue sources, we have to be able to partner with them to support that. Whether it's telemedicine or EP3...as they expand their desire to have additional revenue sources to be able to survive or to keep a contract at the hospital, we have to be able to partner with them effectively and show support."
Advice for Women Entering Emergency Medicine
"Get involved fast and bring all of your energy to it...ask, 'What more can be done'."
-Courtney Franco, Vice President of Sales with ImagineSoftware
"Do not listen with the intent to reply, but with the intent to understand. Be confident, but also be humble and appreciative of your journey and the help you get."
-Jackie Willett, Senior Vice President of R1 RCM
"Support the best idea in the room and be willing to be vulnerable to support that idea even when no one else is."
Julie Ford Smith, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Optimization with Zoll
"Make sure (all) voices are heard...it's easy for the loudest voice in the room to direct the conversation, but it doesn't mean that the best idea was really properly vetted."
- Dr. Andrea Brault, President and CEO of Brault Practice Solutions
It is clear that women bring a unique perspective to the field of emergency medicine and are well-positioned to take advantage of growth in medical billing. Women who enter this industry should remember the valuable advice shared by our panelists: be confident yet humble, support others’ ideas, ask for help when needed, and remain nimble as technology advances. With these tips in mind, there is no doubt that female leaders will continue to make great strides in healthcare and beyond.