Forty-six hospitals and health systems were named in Forbes' seventh annual America's Best Employers for Women list. Here is what it took to get there, according to two system CEOs.
1. Women in leadership
"Knowing and understanding what matters to women is important," said Andrea Walsh, CEO of Bloomington, Minn.-based HealthPartners, highlighting the importance of female leadership.
Ric Ransom, CEO of University of Missouri Health Care (Columbia), mentioned the strong women leaders in the system, including its COO, CIO, chief nursing officer and chief quality officer.
"Organizations really have to do their best to walk the talk, and having visible, engaged female executives is how that looks," Mr. Ransom said.
2. Active listening to women in the workforce
MU Health Care provides opportunities for frontline staff and other team members to engage with leadership through town hall meetings and "coffee with the chiefs," or small group discussions, Mr. Ransom said.
MU also has groups such as its Women in Medicine and Medical Sciences program, its chapter of the American Medical Women's Association, and its Women of MU Health Care employee resource group — all of which lend to a positive environment, Mr. Ransom said.
3. Benefits
The Forbes' list was compiled from surveys of over 150,000 women employees based on aspects such as work environment, pay equity and parental leave.
MU Health Care's paid parental and caregiver leave programs are another contributor to its positive workplace, Mr. Ransom said.
HealthPartners similarly prioritizes employee benefits, with offerings such as "Little Partners," which provides children 12 and younger 100% dental coverage, Ms. Walsh said. The system also has well-established policies around breastfeeding, providing designated breastfeeding areas at its facilities and offering employees hospital-grade breast pumps, she said.