Women’s History Month: Unsung Heroes in Healthcare
3 Minutes
Team Curative
Mar 25, 2022
Every year, during March, we are provided with an opportunity to celebrate Women’s History Month, sharing stories of women and their achievements, which are often overlooked. This year’s theme, “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” designated by the National Women’s History Alliance, is close to our mission at Curative.
At Curative, 56% of our staff identify as women, which is higher than the workforce average of 46.8%. 61% of our leads and supervisors are women, 62% of our VPs are women, and 51% of our managers and directors are women. We are grateful for the experiences and contributions of our women team members, who consistently demonstrate strength and leadership in times of crisis.
One of Curative’s many inspirational women leaders is Yajaira, a wife, mother, and student, and team leader in field operations. Throughout the pandemic, she has balanced the at-home and work responsibilities all while providing critical services for the patients we serve.
“Although faced with many challenges, I have been with Curative for over a year, promoted twice, and I’ve never felt that my gender or anything else held me back from seeking or being selected for a position”, says Yajaira Ruiz.
In addition to contributing to the healthcare workforce, studies have also shown that women utilize more healthcare services than men. Women visit their primary care and diagnostic clinics more frequently than men, and average charges for primary care, specialty care, emergency treatment, diagnostic services, and annual total charges were all significantly higher for women. Coupled with considerations around reproductive health and childbirth, especially as family insurance premiums have increased 55% over the last decade, and 11% of women aged 19-64 are currently uninsured, women face additional challenges in receiving comprehensive healthcare services.
Despite these inequities, women continue to make groundbreaking advancements in healthcare, and play a key role in defining what the future of healthcare can look like. Women’s History Month is both a tribute to caregivers and frontline workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and also a recognition of the ways that women have provided both healing and hope in healthcare throughout history. Curative leader, Nancy Wamburu shares her thoughts:
Why are women leaders needed in healthcare?
“Women leaders are important in healthcare because women make up the larger part of the healthcare industry, such as with the hospital workforce where the majority of nurses, clinical laboratory staff, and other personal care staff are women. The integration of women into the leadership of these fields is, therefore, essential to the growth of the healthcare industry. Women leaders also bring certain (soft) skills that are much needed in leadership – skills such as collaboration, team building and compassion – which complement other more-traditional skills.”
Nancy Wamburu, Technical Supervisor, Curative DC
Hope for Better Healthcare in a Post-pandemic Future
The pandemic has provided the opportunity for people to re-envision what healthcare can look like, and provide hope for a system that better services patients’ needs. From the initial contact a patient has with a healthcare provider, to the treatment they receive based on their diagnosis, healthcare providers need to put the patient’s experience above all else. Truly comprehensive healthcare programs acknowledge the different needs of each patient and provide services that benefit the individual. Equity in healthcare cannot exist without identifying the unique challenges that women face in accessing and utilizing healthcare.
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Curative has zero tolerance for any discrimination and will continue to focus on increasing healthcare access for the most vulnerable among us.
Any opinions are those of the employees interviewed in their personal capacity and do not necessarily reflect the views of Curative Inc.
