Celebrating Most Powerful Women in Health IT

By Shana Tachikawa

Congratulations to all the Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT honorees! Its incredible to have been a part of this first-ever event for female leaders in the industry and celebrate all their dedication and achievements.

While the event praised female health IT triumphs, it also shed light on areas for growth. Gender gaps in both career opportunities and pay still exist. HIMSS research found that female health IT workers earn almost 25 percent less than men in the industry, while new female HIT executives within their first year of leadership earn only 63 percent of the pay of male equivalents for the same responsibilities. To learn more about the gender gap in health IT check out Health Data Management's article here.

So how can women in health IT overcome these statistics? A conference session led by executive coach at Energy Springs Leadership Deb Busser suggested that leadership-seeking individuals cross pollenate their skills and networking. Attend conferences like HIMSS and CHIME Fall Forum for career development and professional relationship building. Stay up-to-date on industry trends and publications, lending your own expertise in guest blog posts or bylines. It can be great industry exposure that promotes you as a thought leader and expert in the field. Push beyond your comfort zone to meet new people, who can build your support network, and opportunities.

Congratulations again, MPWHIT honorees, including Stoltenberg's own Sheri Stoltenberg. To see the full list of Thought Leader honorees, click here.