Women in Healthcare: Susan Turney
In honor of Women’s History Month, Healthcare Finance News has asked some of the women leaders in the nation’s healthcare industry to talk about the role of women in healthcare. Contact HFN associate editor, Stephanie Bouchard, on Twitter @SBouchardHFN if you have suggestions for women that should be included in our series.
Today, we hear from Susan Turney, MD, the president and chief executive officer of the Medical Group Management Association and the American College of Medical Practice Executives (MGMA-ACMPE). Turney was elected to her current post at MGMA-ACMPE last fall. Her leadership record as a champion of healthcare information technology is a long one. As CEO and executive vice president of the Wisconsin Medical Society, she helped lead the society to become a founder of the Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network and the Wisconsin Health Information Organization. She has also served on committees of the National Quality Forum and the American Health Information Management Association.
Q: What role do women have as decision-makers/leaders in today's healthcare sector?
A: Women now comprise a majority of the healthcare workforce – tremendous progress over my mother’s and grandmother’s generation - but as leaders, women remain under represented. It’s very important for women leaders in healthcare to mentor and nurture future leaders; to be inspirational leaders; to offer their guidance regarding how we can continue to address any gender barriers. These women can also encourage discussion around work/life balance and what’s best for a professional relative to their family and work commitments.
Q: What do women bring to the table to shape the future of healthcare?
A: Women have the opportunity to transform healthcare in many positive and progressive ways. Our approach to healthcare brings value to the organizations we serve. The way we work, think and communicate is oftentimes unique. We excel at building relationships. It’s an exciting time in our industry and I’m happy to see women leaders at the forefront.
Q: What do you personally believe should be the path forward to better care and lower costs?
A: I think it should be about bringing the focus back to the patient and honoring the physician/administrator team’s role in delivering successful outcomes. Positive change starts with building healthier practices, patients and communities. As physicians, we need to take back our profession and use information to drive change and data to support our decisions. At the end of the day we should always feel like we’ve done what’s in the best interest of the patient.
