by Lindsay Dymowski, President of Centennial Pharmacy Services
Women must navigate a complex power dynamic to find success in the healthcare space. Look around the industry and you’ll see that women are in the majority. But look up, and you’ll see an imbalance in favor of men at the top. The result is an environment where women’s contributions are essential but often undervalued or overlooked entirely.
This creates risks for women contributing to healthcare startups. Women can be at the helm of building out programs, creating the groundwork for new initiatives, or developing services that directly enhance patient care. Despite doing much of the foundational work, however, many women find their contributions are gradually sidelined or co-opted by male counterparts who ultimately take the credit as the projects gain momentum.
As these scenarios play out, it’s damaging not only for the women involved but also for the healthcare industry at large. Leaders who exert control rather than seek collaboration stifle individual career growth and the broader innovation and patient-centered advancements that women are well-equipped to champion. When we consider how much patient care relies on collaborative, empathetic, and nuanced solutions, it’s evident that more balanced and inclusive leadership could redefine the industry for the better.
Proactive steps for advancing in healthcare
Bringing your whole self to the table is the most important practice for women seeking empowerment in healthcare. It’s critical to resist downplaying your input and engage in actively affirming your worth. Stand firm in your expertise, confidently sharing insights and offering contributions.
Women who witness that type of engagement should be vocal about supporting it. Encouraging women who are advocating for their ideas unapologetically can help shift workplace culture, fostering an environment where women’s voices and leadership are normalized and valued.
Building a network of mentors and allies is also important. Mentorship goes beyond giving guidance to open doors, facilitate connection, and provide an inspiring and transformative model for success. When mentors stand firm as advocates, they empower women to effectively navigate organizational dynamics, build confidence, and develop boldness in sharing ideas.
Women become more resilient and empowered to bring about change when they embrace their full value and build a support system that reinforces their belief in their contributions.
Unique opportunities in the startup space
The startup world holds tremendous potential for women in healthcare, providing an empowering platform for those ready to push beyond traditional corporate limitations and drive real change. Startups give women the unique ability to build from the ground up. Bureaucratic constraints can be bypassed, and solutions can be designed that are as diverse as the populations we serve.
Women are uniquely equipped to lead innovation in patient-centered solutions, for example, because they often approach healthcare from a holistic and empathetic standpoint. Innovative companies focusing on contraception, UTIs, hormonal health, and other women-centered issues are being driven by women who are tired of seeing those areas marginalized. Conditions disproportionately affecting women have traditionally received minimal research, resources, and solutions, leaving a gap in care that startups are now eager to fill.
Women-led startups are proving that healthcare can be both data-driven and compassionate, tech-enabled and deeply human. They are embracing the freedom to challenge outdated models and create a healthcare system responsive to the full spectrum of patient experiences. Their efforts are not only transforming healthcare but also creating a lasting impact that will empower future generations of women to take the reins and lead with purpose, compassion, and an unrelenting focus on meaningful change.
Women’s voices are incredibly powerful in healthcare. They are capable of reshaping patient experiences, improving outcomes, and setting new standards of care. When they are missing, the quality of care becomes less inclusive and less responsive.
Empowering women in healthcare is about much more than representation; it’s about enriching the decision-making process by giving women a voice. When we create space for women’s insights at the top, healthcare becomes more attuned to the full spectrum of patient needs, improving not only health outcomes but also the lived experience of care.
Lindsay Dymowski is President of Centennial Pharmacy Services, a leading medication-at-home pharmacy, and co-founder and principal of The Centennial Group, a pharmacy management company supporting community pharmacies and health systems. Combining her over 15 years of pharmacy experience with her entrepreneurial spirit, Lindsay knows exactly what drives successful pharmacies, launches collaborative provider programs, and gets the attention of payers.
