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You're listening to Inspiring Health with Dr. Roxanna Gapstur, President and CEO of WellSpan Health as she hosts candid conversations about organizational culture, value and other pressing issues we face in healthcare and business today. And Roxanna, tell me what we're going to be talking about today.

Roxanna Gapstur (Host): It's Women's History Month. And on this episode of Inspiring Health, we're talking about women in healthcare, specifically women in leadership. I'm joined today by Patty Donley, our new Vice President and President of WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital. Patty, welcome and congratulations on your promotion.

Patty Donley: Thank you, Roxanna. Yes, I'm a little over two weeks into my new role and I'm really excited. And thank you for having me on your podcast today. I look forward to talking to you about women in leadership.

Roxanna Gapstur (Host): Thanks, Patty. You know, it's interesting because healthcare is unique. Unlike other industries, healthcare as a whole is actually well-represented by women. According to the Bureau Of labor Statistics, we make up 80% of the workforce and women also make up the majority of healthcare consumers and decision-makers.

Now, compare that to women in healthcare leadership. Fewer than 20% hold key leadership roles. Only 19% of hospitals are led by women and even less for healthcare companies coming in around 4%. Do you find this surprising, Patty?

Patty Donley: I find this data troubling, but sadly not surprising. These statistics reflect the reality that we face in healthcare, but they don't reflect how it feels at WellSpan right now. You know, I don't think I've ever told you this, Roxanna, but I will never forget the day that I learned you were the next President and CEO of WellSpan. It had that much of an impact on me.

When a change like that is announced amidst the data that you shared, it does two things. First, it tells you something about the organization you work for, about its culture and its values. And second, as a woman, you begin to believe the unlikely is possible. Those statistics become someone else's data because your reality is now different. And here we are years later where it's so encouraging to see how many women at WellSpan serve in leadership roles.

Roxanna Gapstur (Host): Thanks, Patty. I agree. And our commitment to diversity and inclusion here at WellSpan has had a positive impact on women in leadership. We've been intentional with our roadmap over the past few years, and we've shifted our statistics quite a bit. In our senior most roles, 12 of 17 are held by women, and this has grown from just five women three years ago. This includes our regional leadership of our east central and west regions all led by women. Seventy percent of WellSpan leaders at the director level and above are female. And our board leadership reflects this shift as well. We're led by a female board chair and vice chair, and we have five women on our board of 17 members.

We recently conducted a review of leadership pay practices here at WellSpan to ensure equity across gender, race, and ethnicity. And we stand out against the national statistics when it comes to female representation. But it certainly takes commitment.

Now, Patty, we both began our career as nurses. And I'm curious to hear about your journey. What has your career path looked like?

Patty Donley: Yes, we did both start as nurses. And as a nurse, I always find it interesting to hear the stories people share about what led them into the profession. So like many people I talked to, nursing wasn't my first career choice. I actually started college as a communications major. But around that time, my dad got sick and was hospitalized. And what I see is a very pivotal time in my life. When I was evaluating future career options, I witnessed the deep appreciation and connection he made with the nurses who cared for him. When I saw the difference they made in his life, I realized that's what I wanted to do. And I transferred into a nursing program.

And then as a nurse, very early in my career, I was drawn to leadership. I had this incredible opportunity in my early 20s to serve as a frontline leader in an ambulatory surgery center. And looking back, I gained such valuable skills that truly laid the foundation for me as a leader, ultimately, by being open to opportunities that presented. That role led to other leadership roles for me in the hospital as a manager and a director, an AVP and, then prior to this position, as the chief nursing officer. And I have to say, I have the unique distinction of developing as a leader in each of those roles within the same hospital where my dad received care all those years ago.

Roxanna Gapstur (Host): Wow. It sounds like you've had a lot of opportunity, Patty, to make some smart connections and to broaden your skillset. Shifting the balance for more women leaders really requires two things. There needs to be an intentional commitment from the organization through formal means, but also a commitment from leaders to inspire and mentor others. As women leaders, we need to pay it forward. What's been most impactful for you?

Patty Donley: Well, I have to say I attribute much of the leader that I am today to my very first mentor. As a young leader, she saw something in me that sometimes I didn't always see in myself. She not only encouraged me, she truly sponsored me, exposing me to different opportunities to grow and expand my skillset. And along the way, she taught me so many leadership lessons that I still integrate into my practice today. She definitely taught me the value of mentorship, which to this day I still seek. But perhaps even more importantly, I've recognized the importance of seeking out the opportunity to mentor others.

Roxanna Gapstur (Host): I'm a big proponent of mentorship and sponsorship for leaders, and I've been fortunate to have had several excellent leaders as role models. It's so important to be active in your relationship with a mentor as well. Lean into it, seek honest feedback. My own mentors have taught me a lot about grace and resilience and also I've learned the importance of building my own personal network.

Patty Donley: I am completely aligned with you on the importance of seeking honest feedback. And in fact, it's one of the things I appreciate most. I firmly believe we need to be courageous enough to provide it and humble enough to receive it. Without it, I feel like your opportunities for growth are limited.

You also brought up the importance of formal programs that an organization can offer. WellSpan demonstrates a strong commitment to learning and advancement. I love seeing the impact the nursing and physician leadership academies have on developing our next leader. The programs give our clinicians the opportunity to develop leadership skills while working in their clinical roles. It's really a unique opportunity to grow talent formerly within our organization.

Roxanna Gapstur (Host): Yes, they're great programs for aspiring leaders. You know, we do offer ongoing leadership development training for all of our leaders with courses on a variety of topics, including resiliency, performance improvement, coaching skills, and change management just to name a few.

Just this year, we launched a new mentoring program designed to accelerate the development of high potential diverse leads. And that program, I think, is going to make a difference in a number of ways for our organization in the coming years.

Before we wrap up, Patty, I wanted to talk about leadership characteristics. Everyone defines a great leader a little bit differently. What are some of the traits that you think great leaders possess?

Patty Donley: Thanks for asking, Roxanna. A few things immediately come to mind. First, as an early communications major, I've always found effective communication as an essential trait for all leaders, because I think it's so important for us to use our voices effectively for positive change, especially as women. I also respect the leader's ability to collaborate and form teams where people feel valued and empowered. And lastly, I think a great healthcare leader embraces innovation and continuous improvement with a relentless pursuit of high reliability.

Roxanna Gapstur (Host): Those are great leadership traits. I agree. And they make me think about WellSpan's Leader 2025 attributes. You know, we want leaders at WellSpan to have a growth mindset, to disrupt bias, to communicate effectively. We all need to advocate for change. Be nimble, be collaborative.

Something any aspiring leader can do today is work on two of our Leadership 2025 attributes that I think are most critical. The first is being intensely self-aware with emotional intelligence and resiliency. So think about that. We've talked a lot at WellSpan about resiliency in the past two years, and we've certainly been challenged by the pandemic, but self-awareness and emotional intelligence are core to who we are and how we relate to others. The second one is building consensus for win-win solutions, honing our negotiation skills and finding solutions that can benefit both parties. Both of these attributes will carry us far, whether we're an aspiring leader or we simply want to be better colleagues to our team.

Patty, I want to thank you for joining me today to talk about women in healthcare leadership. You are a shining example of an excellent leader. Let's close with a final question. So if you had to give one piece of advice to aspiring what would it be?

Patty Donley: I would say be open to opportunities that present, pursue them with preparation and with confidence and with a belief in yourself because you belong at that leadership table.

Roxanna Gapstur (Host): That's really great. Thank you for that piece of advice, Patty. That's all the time we have for today. We hope you'll join us for the next episode of Inspiring Health.