Community Health Centers and the Development of Women Leaders: What Can the Rest of Public Health Learn?

Despite the fact that women are earning an increasing proportion of advanced degrees, they are still significantly underrepresented in executive leadership positions in health care. However, women have been notably successful becoming leaders of Community Health Centers (CHCs). This study investigates what strategies have been successful in helping women shatter the glass ceiling in CHCs. A validated e-mail survey was adapted and administered to a nationwide sample of CHC Executive Directors, with 85 responses analyzed using a variety of non-parametric statistical measures. In addition, four male and four female Directors were interviewed in depth via telephone. The survey data show that men and women in CHCs respond similarly to questions about attitudes toward and the existence of gender equity and bias. Male/female differences concerning the importance and presence of mentorship and succession planning were statistically modest, but responses indicated that women in CHCs are in fact more likely to obtain female formal and informal mentorship than men. The in-depth interviews provided more personal perspectives, including the importance of participation in after-hours social activities and other interpersonal mechanisms to improve access to influence networks and, eventually, leadership positions. The results suggest that the biggest obstacle to female advancement in CHCs (and elsewhere) may be the problems faced in attaining and maintaining a work/life balance. The research results provide a nuanced picture of the varying ways in which women discover and use a range of strategies, including mentorship and succession plans, to eradicate organizational and interpersonal barriers to advancement.