HBA Harnesses the Power of Collaboration to Advance Gender Equity in Health Care

Achieving gender equity in the health care and pharma industries is a daunting task, and it may feel like there is no clear path forward. The Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), however, does not shy away from such a challenge. HBA is taking bold steps to help competitor organizations work together to solve a collective problem. Med Ink’s Principal and Medical Director, Stephanie Vargas, MD, and our Senior Consultant, Abigale Miller, attended the 2024 HBA Annual Conference and learned about the HBA’s efforts to advance gender equity in health care business.

HBA founded the Gender Equity Think Tank (GETT) in 2018 to accelerate the industry’s transformation to a gender-balanced workplace. Its members are leading global organizations that commit to accelerating gender parity and equity, and include Lundbeck, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Amgen, and Bristol Myers Squibb.

The GETT convenes global organizations to collaborate and advance gender equity in health care.

HBA and the GETT member organizations realize that advances in gender equity can’t happen one company at a time. Members meet regularly to share challenges and stories of success from their own companies; they can then take ideas back to their home companies to improve HR policies and workplace culture. For example, discussions about barriers that women face to becoming C-suite executives have led to internal discussions about how to leverage Employee Resource Groups to address those barriers. Members have said that the GETT helps equip them with strategies and language to take back to their own organizations to build internal support.

The GETT is focused on advancing progress for women of color, creating accountability for inclusion, engaging men as allies, tackling barriers at entry- and mid-career stages, and ensuring transparency. The collaborative publishes reports of industry insights and benchmarks to be able to track change. Through Councils and Summits, the GETT helps members share best practices, discuss challenges, and evaluate possible solutions.  

Representation of women of color in senior roles has increased by 39% in GETT member companies between 2018 and 2021.

The results have been astounding. Between 2018 and 2021:

• Member companies have seen the proportion of female Senior Vice Presidents increase from 24% to 48%.

• The proportion of women of color in senior roles at member companies has increased by 39%.

• Member companies have also seen a 27% rise in women at the VP level, when the industry average dropped by 9%.

Med Ink Consulting is proud to be a women-owned company, and our consultants are active members of HBA and advocates for gender equity. We believe that collaboration between individuals of diverse backgrounds can yield impressive results for patients and the broader health care industry. Read more about the GETT’s initiatives and impact here.