EDITOR'S NOTE: Fierce Healthcare is extending the deadline for nominations to Friday, Oct. 1
This past year has been a time of extraordinary challenges for healthcare workers and executives, and this is especially true for women in the industry.
Even before the pandemic, female physicians and researchers earned less, did more at home and were lower on the professional ladder compared to men. The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound and far-reaching impacts on healthcare workers in the U.S. This burden has, in many ways, been disproportionately shouldered by women.
Research from the British Medical Association and published in the British Medical Journal found that female doctors have taken on extra—often unpaid—work during the pandemic, to the detriment of their own well-being and mental health.
There's also been a notable decline in the amount of research submitted by women to academic journals compared to men.
In a survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges last year, 46% of female medical students voiced concern about the threat the pandemic poses to their careers, compared to only 36% of their male classmates.
But there are also significant shifts happening in the industry. Solving health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic demands the best minds the world has to offer, and women have played a critical role in the pandemic response. This past year has seen women in healthcare achieve spectacular accomplishments and demonstrate stellar leadership at every level of medicine.
RELATED: FierceHealthcare's 2020 Women of Influence Awards
Women are leading the healthcare industry forward and working on the front lines as physicians, in ICUs, in administration and in public health.
Fierce Healthcare profiled one of these leaders: Hanneke Schuitemaker, Ph.D., a top viral vaccine researcher for Johnson & Johnson, who led a team working around the clock to develop a COVID-19 vaccine to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
It is in the spirit of recognizing those contributions that change the industry that we plan to honor the Fierce Healthcare Women of Influence.
We are putting out the call for nominations to honor women across the healthcare industry—from physicians and CEOs to researchers and tech company execs—who are shaping the way healthcare of the future will be delivered.
What are we looking for?
We are seeking leaders who have made a measurable impact on healthcare in the past year and have a demonstrated track record in paving the way forward for women and men alike. We are looking for examples of innovation, passion, ingenuity and leadership that we'll be able to share with leaders across the industry.
This is where you come in.
If you know of a female leader in healthcare you believe is deserving of this honor, fill out the form as best you can below. Nominations are part of our process of assessing who will win the honor of being one of our Fierce Healthcare Women of Influence.
Forms must be submitted by Friday, Oct. 1. Winners will be announced at the end of October.
Thank you for your help identifying these leaders.
— Heather Landi, senior editor, Fierce Healthcare