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Gao SW, Forcillo J, Watkins AC, Antonoff MB, Luc JG, Chung JC, Ritchie L, Eikelboom R, Shashidharan S, Maruyama M, Whitlock RP, Ouzounian M, Belley-Côté EP. 60 Years After the First Woman Cardiac Surgeon: We Still Need More Women in Cardiac Surgery. CJC Open 2021; 3:S89-S94. [PMID: 34993438 PMCID: PMC8712594 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjco.2021.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1960, Dr Nina Starr Braunwald became the first woman to perform open heart surgery. Sixty years later, despite the fact that women outnumbered men in American medical school in 2017, men still dominate the field of cardiac surgery. Women surgeons remain underrepresented in cardiac surgery; 11% of practicing cardiac surgeons in Canada were women in 2015, and 6% of practicing adult cardiac surgeons in the US were women in 2019. Although women remain a minority in other surgical specialties also, cardiothoracic surgery remains one of the most unevenly–gender distributed specialties. Why are there so few women cardiac surgeons, and why does it matter? Evidence is emerging regarding the benefits of diversity for a variety of industries, including healthcare. In order to attract and retain the best talent, we must make the cardiac surgery environment more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Some causes of perpetuation of the gender gap have been documented in the literature—these include uneven compensation and career advancement opportunities, outdated views on family dynamics, and disproportionate scrutiny of women surgeons, causing additional workplace frictions for women. Diversity is an organizational strength, and gender-diverse institutions are more likely to outperform their non-gender-diverse counterparts. Modifiable issues perpetuate the gender gap, and mentorship is key in helping attract, develop, and retain the best and brightest within cardiac surgery. Facilitating mentorship opportunities is key to reducing barriers and bridging the gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Weiwei Gao
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Forcillo
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Amelia Claire Watkins
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Mara B. Antonoff
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jessica G.Y. Luc
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jennifer C.Y. Chung
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Laura Ritchie
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rachel Eikelboom
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Subhadra Shashidharan
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Michiko Maruyama
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Calgary, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Richard P. Whitlock
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maral Ouzounian
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emilie P. Belley-Côté
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Corresponding author: Dr Emilie P. Belley-Côté, McMaster University, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular, and Stroke Research Institute, 237 Barton Street East, Hamilton, Ontario L8L 2X2, Canada. Tel.: +1-905-527-4322, x40741.
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Overcoming Obstacles to Develop High-Performance Teams Involving Physician in Health Care Organizations. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9091136. [PMID: 34574910 PMCID: PMC8469144 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9091136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many health care organizations struggle and often do not succeed to be high-performance organizations that are not only efficient and effective but also enjoyable places to work. This review focuses on the physician and organizational roles in limiting achievement of a high-performance team in health care organizations. Ten dimensions were constructed and a number of competencies and metrics were highlighted to overcome the failures to: (i) Ensure that the goals, purpose, mission and vision are clearly defined; (ii) establish a supportive organizational structure that encourages high performance of teams; (iii) ensure outstanding physician leadership, performance, goal attainment; and (iv) recognize that medical team leaders are vulnerable to the abuses of personal power or may create a culture of intimidation/fear and a toxic work culture; (v) select a good team and team members—team members who like to work in teams or are willing and able to learn how to work in a team and ensure a well-balanced team composition; (vi) establish optimal team composition, individual roles and dynamics, and clear roles for members of the team; (vii) establish psychological safe environment for team members; (viii) address and resolve interpersonal conflicts in teams; (xi) ensure good health and well-being of the medical staff; (x) ensure physician engagement with the organization. Addressing each of these dimensions with the specific solutions outlined should overcome the constraints to achieving high-performance teams for physicians in health care organizations.
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