Health IT execs Sue Schade and Deanna Wise will headline a session on the impact of women executives on the healthcare industry at this year's annual HIMSS convention in Las Vegas.
Schade, interim chief information officer at the University Hospitals of Cleveland, and Wise, the executive vice president and CIO at Dignity Health, will discuss leadership styles and their experiences leading IT efforts at their organizations at the session, Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Lessons Learned for Aspiring Female Executives.
It takes place on March 2 at 1 p.m. in the Sands Expo Convention Center Rock of Ages Theater.
Schade, who previously worked as CIO at University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, recently brought her talents to the position at UHC. She has been a strong voice in the discussion about the importance of supporting women in the health IT profession. Wise was named one of the 100 top IT leaders in Computerworld's Class of 2015 Yearbook.
The night before the session, there also will be a Women in Health IT Networking Reception at Madame Tussauds @ The Venetian from 6:30 to 8 p.m. There is a $45 fee for the cocktail reception--HIMSS recommends early registration.
In addition, a group of female entreprenuers and health IT experts will speak on a panel called "Disruptive Women in Health Care, Tech & Management: Business Savvy & Swagger" on March 1 at 2:30 p.m. The panelists will speak about the work they did and lessons they learned to help them get to where they are today.
While women have risen in the ranks in health IT, there are still barriers and negative perceptipons to overcome.
In 2014, women comprised only 34 percent of executives at top-100-ranked hospitals and only 21 percent of board members at Fortune 500 healthcare companies, according to a recent Rock Health report. Last year there was "no drastic change" in the numbers, according to Rock Health.