Women to watch in healthcare IT
I feel proud to be highlighting a few of the the smart, driven, and talented women in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) industry. I have personally worked with several of these women, and I know them to be not only incredibly successful in their careers, but also amazing, intelligent, fun (and funny) people.
As accomplished as these professionals are, women still only hold fewer than 25 percent of STEM jobs, according to a US Department of Commerce report. We need to change the statistic and break stereotypes – encouraging more girls and women to follow a career in STEM, so they can shape the future of the industry. To do this, we must inspire others and act as role models in the industry, just as these women have.
Fatima Paruk, M.D., MPH, Chief Medical Officer, Allscripts Analytics
Dr. Paruk, a physician and public health specialist, leads a world-class team dedicated to developing, designing, and deploying predictive models to improve health. Passionate about health systems and global surgical initiatives, she is an inspiration to women in the healthcare field. Committed to disaster response, specifically in Kenya, she established the country’s injury surveillance system and has worked tirelessly to improve hospital quality. In line with her dedication to disaster response, she recently authored Kenya’s National EMS policy.
Recent blog post by Fatima Paruk, M.D., MPH: Trauma Care in Kenya: Healthcare data analytics gives rise to a national EMS policy
Lisa LaBau, Vice President and General Manager, API Healthcare, a GE Healthcare Company
It is undeniable that Lisa is one of the top women in the Healthcare IT industry. Formerly the Chief Operating Officer, she is a strong leader who is responsible for overseeing the business operations at API Healthcare. Thanks in part to her dedication, the company consistently receives high honors for industry excellence. Lisa believes this is “an exciting time to be in healthcare.” She predicts that over the next 5 to 10 years, “as mergers and acquisitions ramp up, there is a very real possibility that 100 large mega health systems will emerge, providing a great opportunity for healthcare IT to impact clinical financial and operational outcomes, particularly in the area of workforce management.”
Joan Hankin, MSN, RN-C, Global Director of Marketing and Business Development – Health and Life Sciences at Intel Corporation
Joan is an incredible female role model in the healthcare and technology fields. In addition to obtaining her BSN from SUNY Brockport, her MSN from San Francisco State University, and her Family Nurse Practitioner certification from the University of California Davis Medical School, she has held roles in clinical management and marketing and strategy at both Stanford University and the University of California San Francisco Medical Centers. She has since shifted her focus to technology and, with more than 15 years of experience at companies including HP, Sun Microsystems, and WebMD, has become a powerhouse in the industry. She is confident that technology will drive the future of the healthcare industry and believes “improved connectivity and interoperability will allow healthcare to be delivered anytime, anywhere over the next 10 years.” She also believes “routine care will be delivered less by face-to-face contact, moving toward remote interactions via avatars and trained A.I. assistants, which will lessen the burden on caregivers [and] reduce errors.”
Andrea McGonigle, Managing Director for the HLS Business Development at Microsoft
I’ve personally had the pleasure of working with Andrea, and I am constantly impressed with her support and encouragement of women becoming a force in the STEM industry. In addition to being named one of the Top 24 Power Women by Philadelphia’s Main Line Times, she was also awarded a spot in the Top 100 influential people in Life Sciences for the second year in a row by PharmaVoice. As Microsoft’s Managing Director for the HLS Business Development, her experience is a testament to women as leaders in the industry.
Read more on Andrea McGonigle’s blog: http://workingqueenbee.com/
Twitter: @andreawork
Laura Wallace, Vice President for Health & Sciences (HLS) at Microsoft
Another driving force in the representation of women as leaders in the industry, Laura, with the help of her team, enables Microsoft’s continued commitment to empower the healthcare industry using technology and data to help solve the most challenging global health issues. She is responsible for the strategy, solution development, and strategic relationships that drive businesses spanning US commercial and public sector initiatives.
Leslie Sistla, Director, Technology Strategy, Worldwide Health Industry
Leslie is yet another female role model in the Healthcare IT industry. As the Worldwide Health Industry technology strategist, she is responsible for guiding the evolution of a growing ecosystem of enterprise solutions that include integrated health management systems, cloud, device management, and service lifecycle management.
Read a recent blog post by Leslie Sistla: It’s time for a security intervention in healthcare
