Who runs the healthcare world? Why, it’s women, of course.

A significant portion of the healthcare workforce is comprised of women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), women make up 67% of the health and social workforce in the US, while across the globe, women comprise 85% of the nursing workforce.

Despite dominating the workforce, only a small portion of women hold leadership positions in healthcare. Based on a 2025 study titled “Invisible Barriers: Experiences of Women Leaders in Healthcare Administration: A Qualitative Study,” only 33% of women in healthcare held leadership roles, and an even smaller percentage of them, 13%, held Chief Executive Officer (CEO) roles. 

By adopting a women-centric hospital culture framework, healthcare organizations can fix the common and persistent barriers women face in landing leadership roles in the industry. When an organization has a women-centric work culture, equity, flexibility, and mentorship will be heavily integrated into the organization’s operations, empowering women to take on leadership roles more easily.

The Importance of Women-Centric Leadership

The entire healthcare industry significantly benefits when women are given the opportunity to take on leadership roles. Studies have shown that women leaders positively impact healthcare organizations’ financial performance, risk and stability, innovation, engagement with ethical initiatives, health outcomes, organizational culture, and women’s careers and aspirations. Hence, healthcare organizations that increase and sustain their investments in developing women leaders experience improved outcomes for employees, patients, and the entire organization.

With women at the helm, healthcare employees achieve better work-life balance, which is integral for keeping burnout at bay and retaining top talent. According to a 2021 study by McKinsey & Company and Leanin.org, women managers performed better at providing emotional support (31%), considering the overall well-being (61%), intervening or dealing with burnout (21%), and ensuring that the workload remains manageable (42%).  At a time when burnout is a leading reason healthcare workers leave the profession, healthcare organizations can benefit from empowering women healthcare professionals to advance into management roles.

How to Fix the Broken Rung for Women in Hospital Management

The term “broken rung” describes a gap in the career ladder that prevents women from advancing to first-line manager positions. According to McKinsey & Company, women comprise 48% of entry-level positions in North America. This percentage drops to 39% at the next level, as fewer women are promoted to the manager position.

To fix the broken rung, health systems must intervene early and adopt these action items:

• Review policies, cultures, processes, and systems for inclusivity: For women to thrive, organizations must have systems and processes that empower them to take on leadership roles. Organizations should audit their policies surrounding pay equity, paid leaves, mental health leaves, and flexible work arrangements.
• Foster an inclusive workplace culture that tackles workplace biases: Ensure that all employees and leaders undergo diversity, inclusion, harassment, and discrimination training. Company-wide training sessions that address biases, including age and gender, should also be mandatory for everyone.
• Regularly hire or promote women for leadership positions: Healthcare organizations must provide fast-track measures to address gender imbalances in their leadership teams.
• Conduct unbiased performance reviews: This can be done by using consistent 360-degree feedback and calibrated scoring rubrics. Educate employees about affinity bias to ensure that women are fairly rated.
• Promote women’s voices and ideas: Organizations should commit to amplifying women’s voices, thoughts, and contributions, and regularly give credit and recognition to outstanding women employees.

A women-centric culture is a strategic advantage for healthcare organizations across the globe. Health systems that adopt this approach will lead in talent attraction and retention, innovation, and care equity, which can bolster employee satisfaction and patient care outcomes.