Women Underrepresented in Healthcare Leadership Roles, Report Finds

According to a new LinkedIn report, there is a significant gap between the number of women working in healthcare and the number of women in leadership roles. The report found that “women don’t seem to be climbing the corporate ladder” and remain underrepresented the higher up one goes.

The report found that women comprise approximately 70% of the healthcare workforce yet hold just 55% of leadership roles. Amber Rogotzke, President and Principal of Health Dimensions Group, a women-owned and led healthcare group, called this issue a “critical issue that demands attention and resolution.”

A US Government Accountability Office report found that women in management grew by less than 2% between 2018 and 2021. Across all industries, women comprise 47% of the workforce and 42% of managers.

Rogotzke added that skilled nursing and long-term care facilities must create a more inclusive workplace culture that supports diversity and gender equity, including offering equal pay, providing professional development opportunities, promoting work-life balance, and considering benefits such as equal parental leave, which help to balance gender wage gaps.

Education will be essential in advancing more women in skilled nursing in the future, as experienced nursing managers need more education on effective leadership and management styles.

More mentors and industry awards programs recognizing strong women leaders are needed to encourage and inspire women to pursue leadership roles. “When women receive recognition for their success, that serves as an example and inspiration for young women in their career development,” Rogotzke pointed out.

“The issue of women being underrepresented in leadership roles is significant, and more efforts are needed to address this disparity and promote diversity and gender equity in the workplace,” Joe Kubulak, Chief Operating Officer at SpecialtyRx.