At PeaceHealth, female representation is deeply embedded in its history and workforce.
The Vancouver, Wash.-based health system, operating nine hospitals across Washington, Oregon and Alaska, was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, a Catholic congregation. Today, women make up nearly 80% of its 16,000-person workforce, and the organization is led by President and CEO Liz Dunne.
From this foundation, PeaceHealth launched the Women of Peace initiative nine months ago to support and develop its female workforce. The program focuses on advancing leadership opportunities, fostering mentorship and equipping women with the resources they need in their careers.
"With an overall population of nearly 80% women, we see that percentage shrink as you move up the leadership ranks," Sarah Ness, PeaceHealth's chief administrative officer, told Becker's. "We wanted to understand the dynamics behind this decrease in female representation as leadership levels increase."
As part of the initiative, the health system formed a Women of Peace steering committee to evaluate the factors contributing to why women may be hesitant to take the next step in their careers. Ms. Ness explained that the evaluation went beyond simply boosting engagement among women.
"We know that females, whatever they do, come to it all-in," Ms. Ness said. "But we knew we needed to do more to ensure we were operating to the top of our license and using this as a driver for our people-first, community-centered strategy and mission. We had to have our entire workforce utilizing all of their skills and abilities. If a significant percentage of our workforce isn't providing all that's offered and all they have to bring to the table, over time, it erodes both the effectiveness of individuals in our workforce and our ability to fulfill our mission in a way that our communities deserve."
To address this, PeaceHealth is developing a micro-mentorship program. "Often the person that is promoted internally was the best in their functional role. They step up into a leadership role, and there's not always the support and resources that tangibly help them become a better leader," Ms. Ness said. "So we're working on a very specific micro-mentorship program to help them tactically and also provide that pairing of female leadership to move them forward in their career."
PeaceHealth is also focusing on physician and clinician leadership development, ensuring that physicians have the tools to step into leadership roles. The health system is also evaluating its physical spaces to ensure they are convenient for all women, particularly those who are caregivers, such as those caring for aging parents or managing household responsibilities.
Ms. Ness said the evaluation of physical spaces goes beyond convenience.
"Whether it's lactation, whether it's just needing a minute to step away and do some self care, are those spaces available in convenient locations?" she said. "Whether you're in a clinic, you're in our acute-care hospitals or in administrative space, we're being very thoughtful about ensuring that.
"When we think about a woman's worth and well-being, are our physical spaces, our programming and our other development opportunities there to ensure that she can be all that she is destined to be? We want to make sure that PeaceHealth helps support that."
While tangible measures of success in terms of retention and internal promotions are not yet available, Ms. Ness pointed to the positive feedback from women in the workforce as a sign of progress.
"It's palpable, the feeling of really wanting to connect authentically, to share their whole selves in a way that builds trust, connection and community," she said. "And it's been so inspiring to hear the conversation, to be inspired by the connections that our female workforce is making, and knowing that if we can do all we can to empower our female caregivers, all those who will rise, and this will benefit everyone."
This sense of connection and community within the workforce reflects PeaceHealth's mission and values. Ms. Ness linked it to a guiding principle embodied by a quote from one of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace: "Let us be who we say we are."
For Ms. Ness, this quote serves as a "North Star" for PeaceHealth and a "call to action for all of us to be intentional about the work that we do and ensure that we are living to our highest self."