SACRAMENTO: Women Filling Top Hospital Posts
Although a 1997 survey found that only 2% of top health care management spots nationwide are held by women, that's not fazing female health care executives in Sacramento, who are increasingly filling executive posts in area hospitals. The most recent women to shatter the glass ceiling are Martha Marsh and Lou Lazatin. Marsh, a former University of Pennsylvania Health System official, will run the UC Davis Medical Center, an organization that employs more than 9,000 people on a $650 million budget. Lazatin was promoted six months ago to CEO of Sutter Health Central, and currently oversees 8,000 employees and manages a budget of $800 million. Both must impose order on a state health care system that is currently "very chaotic." Among Marsh's greatest concerns is continuing UC Davis' medical training program, "funded in large part by the federal Medicare program, which one year ago began slashing reimbursement for care." Meanwhile, Lazatin must cut "$35 million from the [Sutter] budget by 2003." Marsh and Lazatin join other females climbing the health care ranks, including Margaret Bryan, administrator of Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California; Sister Bridget McCarthy, who ran Mercy Healthcare Sacramento; and Sarah Krevans, who until recently managed Kaiser Permanente's regional operations" (Griffith, Sacramento Bee, 8/23).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.