A collection of articles seeks to understand and address ways to create equitable and inclusive work environments for women physicians in a healthcare industry long dominated by men.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), drawing on an 18-month collaboration with five other health care organizations, will publish a multi-specialty supplement on “Women in Medicine” in the September 2021 Pediatrics. This issue explores challenges to improving gender equity and strategies for advancing women in medicine.
The supplement is based on the work of the Women’s Wellness through Equity and Leadership project (WEL) and culminates in a multi-organizational call to action at a time when women make up 35% of the active physician workforce and represent nearly half of all U.S. medical school graduates.
“The pandemic has heightened the stress and exacerbated the inequities that had already been facing women physicians,” said Fan Tait, MD, FAAP, Chief Medical Officer at the AAP. “In preparing this supplement, we expanded key concepts from the WEL program and adopted both an organizational change and solutions-focused approach. We know that many women have been and continue to be marginalized and excluded from opportunities for advancement. This supplement raises awareness and calls for intentional actions to create a better future for women in medicine.”
Funded by the Physicians Foundation and led by the AAP, the initial WEL consortium included 6 medical associations: the AAP, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American College of Physicians (ACP), American Hospital Association (AHA), and American Psychiatric Association (APA). WEL is currently in its second iteration and has expanded to include the American Medical Association (AMA), American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), and National Medical Association (NMA).
Each WEL partner organization nominates early- and mid-career women physicians to engage in networking and training over 18 months; 18 women physicians were recruited as WEL Scholars during the inaugural program, and 50 are currently engaged in the second iteration.
For both iterations of WEL, project leaders prepared a curriculum that focused on wellness, equity, and leadership, seeking to find ways to alleviate stress and burnout, and make culture change within a health care system where women often experience biased, discriminatory, and inequitable work environments.
Authors contributing to the supplement included Steering Committee members, faculty, and Scholars from the inaugural WEL program. The articles address the history, challenges experienced by, and benefits of a diverse workforce; advancing women to leadership positions through individual actions and institutional reform; building inclusive work environments; promoting culture change within organizations; using metrics to promote equitable work environments; and supporting advancement and retention of women physicians. The supplement also includes an evaluation of the inaugural WEL program.
As stated in the supplement call to action by the Chief Executive Officers of the 6 inaugural WEL partner organizations, “As stewards of medicine, the WEL partner organizations have substantial opportunities to foster important change. Leveraging their collective memberships of over 400,000 physicians, they can advance an agenda for equitable leadership opportunities, advocate with one voice, and forge an inclusive healthcare workforce.”
Guest editors of the supplement were Susan Hingle, M.D., MACP, FRCP, FAMWA; Erin Hayes Kelly, Ph.D.; Florence Rivera, M.P.H.; and V. Fan Tait, M.D., FAAP.
The supplement can be found here.
For a copy of supplement articles or to request an interview, contact AAP Public Affairs.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.