While women make up the majority of entry-level roles in healthcare organizations, they accounted for only 35% of C-suite leaders in 2024, according to a recent report from McKinsey. This is up from 29% in 2020.
Becker’s connected with three hospital and health system leaders to discuss what is improving women’s representation in healthcare leadership — including succession planning, sponsorship opportunities and affinity groups — and where progress can still be made.
Efforts moving the needle
Intentional succession planning plays a key role in improving women’s leadership representation, said Sara Safarzadeh Amiri, MD, chief medical officer of Odessa (Texas) Regional Medical Center.
“One of the most powerful ways I’ve seen progress on women’s representation is when succession planning is framed not as ‘filling seats’ or ‘checking off boxes,’ but as broadening perspectives at the leadership table,” Dr. Safarzadeh Amiri told Becker’s. “Healthcare serves diverse communities and leadership should reflect that diversity of thought and experience.”
Women often bring strengths such as empathy, resiliency, collaboration, relational intelligence and a community-centered lens, she said.
“These are all essential qualities in navigating today’s complex healthcare environment,” Dr. Safarzadeh Amiri said. “When organizations intentionally make space for these perspectives, they foster more innovative and collaborative solutions, stronger and resilient teams, and leadership that resonates with both workforce and patients.”
Sponsorship vs. mentorship
Leaders said that both mentorship and sponsorship are important. While mentorship provides guidance, perspective and encouragement, sponsorship is different — and often more effective in career progression.
A sponsor “takes a real chance on you,” Crystal Captain, DNP, RN, associate COO of University Health Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo., told Becker’s.
“A sponsor puts your name forward in rooms you’re not in, opens doors and advocates for your next step,” she said. “Both are important, but what truly accelerates careers is sponsorship paired with opportunity. When women are given stretch assignments, access to strategic projects, and the space to lead before they feel perfectly ready, that’s where growth happens. It is also important for women to have the courage to say, ‘yes,’ before feeling 100% ready. The shift we need is more leaders, both men and women moving from being mentors to being active sponsors.”
Mentorship helps women leaders imagine what is possible for themselves, Dr. Safarzadeh Amiri said.
“However, in my experience, mentorship alone does not accelerate careers,” she said. “This is where sponsorship is needed. Sponsorship is when a leader with influence actively champions you when you are not in the room. It’s when someone stakes their own credibility on opening doors, nominating you for stretch roles, or ensures your voice is heard in decision-making spaces. Sponsorship is the catalyst that moves a person from being qualified to being chosen.
Sponsors are an active advocate, “even when you are not in the room,” Staci Rogers, MD, vice president and chief transformation officer of Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth, told Becker’s.
“They use their influence to open the door to projects or opportunities you may not even know exist,” Dr. Rogers said. “Mentorship helps you grow your skills and confidence, but sponsorship can truly change the trajectory of your career. An influential sponsor can not only nudge you to take on something new but can also give others confidence in your ability to rise to the challenge.”
It is important for rising women leaders to be intentional about building their network, she added, including “peers to give perspective, encouragement and hold you accountable to your goals; mentors for guidance; and sponsors who are willing to use their influence to promote you when you’re not in the room.”
Dr. Rogers has found that women often have many mentors, but far fewer sponsors — which can be especially true for women physician leaders.
“We often have mentors to help navigate clinical practice, but rarely to develop our leadership skills,” she said. “As the industry continues to see more physicians take on new leadership roles, it is vital that women physician leaders are part of this movement. Stepping outside of your day-to-day comfort zone can be very intimidating. The most pivotal and rewarding moments in my career have been tied to both people and experiences that broadened my perspective, challenged my skills, and expanded my network.”
Meaningful — rather than symbolic — initiatives
Affinity groups and networking programs are common, but not always accessible or effective.
Too often, affinity groups provide safe social spaces with inspiring conversations, but do not result in forward progress, Dr. Safarzadeh Amiri said.
“The most meaningful affinity initiatives are those that connect women to power, opportunity and growth,” she said. “This could be direct access to executives, structured leadership training or tangible resources to navigate barriers. The women participating in these programs should be able to leave the room with something actionable like a sponsor, a new skill or a chance at a leadership opportunity.”
Affinity groups are powerful when tied to impact, Dr. Captain said.
“If it’s just coffee and conversation, people tend to disengage,” she said. “What makes an affinity group meaningful is being connected to business strategy, while having executive sponsors who champion it, and provide real development opportunities, not just social support.”
Accessibility also matters, she added.
“Women at all levels should see themselves reflected and feel welcome,” Dr. Captain said. “Lastly, there should be accountability. When we can show data that because of this program, more women advanced, more leaders were prepared or more perspectives shaped decisions, that is meaningful.”
Advice for rising women leaders
“Don’t wait until you feel perfectly ready,” is advice Dr. Safarzadeh Amiri gives to others and consistently repeats to herself.
“As women, we hesitate to step into leadership roles until we meet every requirement; sometimes, we even wait until we are 110% ready,” she said. “On the other hand, our male colleagues seize opportunities at 60% to 70% readiness. Leadership is not about perfection; it’s about courage, adaptability and learning on the go. Every major step in my own career came with moments of self-doubt, but leaning into discomfort is how we grow. My advice is to trust your preparation, take the leap and allow yourself to grow into the role.”
Dr. Captain also encourages women to say “yes,” even when it feels uncomfortable — and develop a strategic network.
“Too many talented women wait until they feel 110% ready to take the next step,” she said. “The truth is, growth often comes when you’re stretched. After saying yes, surround yourself with a strategic network of mentors, peers, and allies who help you succeed”
The most urgent solutions
Leaders also shared the areas organizations are still falling short in creating leadership pathways — and the solutions that feel most urgent.
For Dr. Safarzadeh Amiri, the former is in addressing the structural barriers that disproportionately affect women.
“Leadership tracks continue to be rigid in structure and penalize those balancing family or caregiving responsibilities,” she said. “Promotion decisions still suffer from unconscious bias. We must work to create leadership roles that allow for flexibility, utilize bias checks in evaluation processes and build formal sponsorship programs rather than leaving advocacy up to chance or popularity. Instead of expecting women to continue to adapt to our rigid systems, we should work to implement smarter structures that reflect the realities of today’s workforce.”
Organizations still fall short when women are clustered in support or staff roles, but not in the financial or operational roles that lead directly to the C-suite, Dr. Captain said.
“That becomes a structural barrier,” she said. “We need to redefine what leadership readiness looks like, educate leaders on the value of building diverse slates and intentionally place women in high-visibility, revenue-driving roles.”
