Thread by @ShikhaJainMD

I give many talks on #GenderEquity and #WomenInMedicine. Two slides I have started sharing are examples of all the incredible work #WomenInMedicine continue to do, and emphasize the fact that this work is largely UNPAID and does not help in the promotions process in academia. 🧵

A survey from @McKinsey @LeanInOrg showed the IMMENSE amt of invisible work taken on during the pandemic by women across >400 companies. This work is necessary for companies and organizations to thrive and function. But the women often see no ROI.

womenintheworkplace.com

Our healthcare systems, patients, and teams thrive because of the incredible amount of extra work #WomenInMedicine put in, often nights, wknds, "free time." The work is necessary, but does not provide currency, whether financial, or otherwise, needed for career advancement.

The @HarvardBiz publication outlining the findings from this report show just how much "community work" is being done by women, and who is benefitting. Spoiler alert, it's not the women doing the work who are benefitting. They are burning out.
hbr.org/2021/10/resear…

We described a #ThirdShift before the pandemic, where this equity work was being completed in off hours after the 1st and 2nd shift (your job and then home responsibilities). This was already leading to burnout pre-pandemic.
liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.108…

Dr. @JulieSilverMD describes a new 4th shift that became evident during the pandemic. The work that includes all of the uncompensated #COVID19 work , that is again disproportionately allocated to women. Mental health initiatives, redeployments. mgriblog.org/2021/03/30/the…

So what do we do about this? The @AAMCtoday just published their latest report that again shows there are wide pay disparities in medicine. We have known this for years, and yet these types of inequities persist.
aamc.org/news-insights/…

This statement in particular stood out to me in the report from Dr. @amy_gottlieb

“Our traditional way of compensating physicians and faculty inadvertently devalues women’s contributions and monetizes men’s,”

This pandemic has amplified the disparities that already exist in healthcare at every level. From delivery of patient care to how we treat our healthcare workers. And these disparities are even more pronounced for those with intersectional identities. So how do we make changes?

I also am often asked, why does this matter to me? I'm not in one of these categories of individuals who is directly impacted by these inequities. Why should I care? Well, let's start with a few reasons why everyone should care:

1. We know that when leadership is diverse, and representative of the communities treated, healthcare outcomes improve. So it's better for patient care and overall patient outcomes. @BeckersHR @FierceHealth

fiercehealthcare.com/healthcare/div…

2. Organizations that have pay equity and diverse leadership teams have
- Improved overall performance
- Greater trust in leadership
- Improved job satisfaction
- Improved productivity
- More innovation and creativity
- Better retention
- More Awards
cnbc.com/2021/04/30/div…

3. It's quite simply, the right thing to do. Not only to make sure those in positions are treated equitably, but ensuring there are diverse voices being represented and heard from in the decision making process.

But solutions are multifactorial. We MUST take this moment in time and work intentionally & strategically to change the healthcare system for the better. It's the right thing to do for patients, organizations, and for the healthcare workforce. This could be our watershed moment.

Here are a few suggested solutions from, but it will require intentional systemic change from the top down. The pay gap needs to be closed, but that is just one step in larger more structural systemic changes that are necessary. hbr.org/2019/11/how-to…

If we don't work on addressing and rectifying the barriers that have resulted in the hemorrhaging of phenomenal women from medicine, we will be losing some of our best and brightest and our healthcare systems and patients will suffer.

Be intentional in who you are selecting for opportunities and nominating for awards. Be a mentor AND a sponsor. Make sure women aren't being overly assigned to community or volunteer efforts that won't give them any ROI, distribute those opportunities equitably.

Do a culture audit, look to see who is at the table, and make sure to bring those voices that are missing to the table, then give them a voice. Be especially intentional in ensuring there are individuals with intersectional identities whose voices are being heard.

And this is incredibly important: Don't assign all of the work that needs to be done to make changes to those individuals who are the ones directly impacted. That is a recipe for burnout. This work needs to be championed by everyone, not only those who are directly impacted.

One plug to echo @PeterHotez, when you see physicians on tv or doing public health messaging, organizing testing sites or vaccine drives, or providing #COVID19 education, in the majority of cases, they are NOT getting paid, this is their "free time." fin

https://twitter.com/PeterHotez/status/1450631136565239813?s=20