In 2011, female executives occupied five of Moffitt Cancer Center’s six spaces in the Advisory Board’s Academy Fellowship program, which examines best practices in health care and prepares participants for future leadership roles.

When your professional priorities jibe with those of your employer, success can’t be far off. This cancer research and treatment center helps female directors become vice presidents through a one-year development program that explores its strategies, mission and financial goals, as well as the seven management areas that leaders are expected to master. Rising stars may join the Women’s Leadership Circle, whose 86 members are among the system’s top executives; at meetings, the newest participants often receive mentoring from those with more experience. Prominent members include Nancy Ziel, a former nurse who’s now administrative director of satellite operations; and Yvette Tremonti, a onetime director of accounting and current EVP for strategy and business development.

CEO & Director: William S. Dalton, PhD, MD

VP, HR & Organizational Development: Joanne Olsen

% of senior managers who are women: 62%

% of corporate executives who are women: 28%

% of promotions to manager, senior manager and corporate executive positions that went to women: 7%

% of the top 10% of the company’s earners who are women: 64%

% of corporate executives with profit-and-loss responsibility who are women: 36%

% of the executives running divisions with revenues of more than a billion dollars who are women: NA

% of executives who report directly to the CEO who are women: 30%

% of the members of the board of directors who are women: 28%

% of female workforce participating in mentoring: <1%

Sophie is from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and mom to Bruno (2).

When most fourth grade girls were concerned with friends, school, gymnastics and sleepovers, Sophie Dessureault’s life revolved around chemotherapy, radiation, doctors’ appointments and blood tests.

At 11, Sophie was diagnosed with aggressive fibromatosis. Multiple reoccurrences of her cancer, along with treatments and surgeries, left Sophie’s left leg paralyzed, and the need to walk with the assistance of crutches. For some, cancer is the worst possible thing that can happen in your life. But for Sophie, her experience with cancer exposed her to the world of health care and motivated her to persevere through medical school and become a skilled surgeon.

Sophie is a natural teacher, mentor and leader to the surgical oncology fellows, medical oncology and general surgery students, nurses, physicians and faculty who work alongside her every day. She mentors women in the community, encourages medical students to pursue surgical residencies and nurses to pursue advanced degrees and is a key contributor in the medical student orientation program at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Even more importantly, Sophie makes her patients feel safe and they trust her. Her dedication to her patients goes beyond expectations. It’s not unusual for her to call her patients after hours to check on them. Not only is Moffitt where she’s worked for 12 years, it’s also where she’s a patient. Her personal struggles with cancer enable her to truly understand and care for the unique needs of her patients, their fears and concerns.

Sophie wears many hats at work and has received numerous academic and medical awards. But there isn’t a job more rewarding and challenging than being a single mom to her adopted 2-year-old son, Bruno. Caring for patients, mentoring students and raising an active toddler while taking care of her own illness seems like a daunting task for anyone.

But for Sophie, it’s what she loves.

 

Every month, Moffitt Cancer Center’s on-site childcare facility offers an evening of babysitting, allowing employee parents to go out on the town.

When you’re looking after patients with a life-threatening medical condition, it can be hard to remember to take care of yourself—which is why this cancer research and treatment center maintains an on-site health clinic for its employees, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Treating everything from diabetes and hypertension to sprained ankles and nasty coughs, it sees everyone, regardless of medical coverage; but moms who want insurance only need to work ten hours per week. If they sign up for weightloss programs, blood-pressure screenings or exercise classes, they can earn discounts on their premiums. Alternative work arrangements relieve stress and raise morale; at least 65% of employees use formal flex.

CEO & Director William S. Dalton, PhD, MD

Executive VP, Strategy & Business Development Yvette Tremonti

Women managers/execs 61% 

Women among top earners 53% 

Women hires in 2010 88% 

Average weeks of fully paid maternity leave offered 3 

Allows new moms to “phase back” into work with reduced hours? Yes

Offers affinity group for new mothers? No

Offers backup childcare? Yes

Employees working flexibly 65%

In 2009, 80% of the parents who used the on-site childcare facility at Moffitt Cancer Center received need-based scholarships.

Women make up 71% of the workforce at this cancer research and treatment center, and they have formed a real community. Workers praise managers who've championed them to pursue education or allowed them to work after a move out of state. Mother of three LaWanda Courtney, a director in environmental services, helped her employees last year by offering them overtime, assigning them shifts as hospital "sitters" and compressing their work weeks (slashing gas costs). Amber Broda, the mom of a toddler, was just named the center's first work-life coordinator; she shows other moms how to use flexible schedules. "I've been there," she says. To help everyone advance, there's EdAssist, a debit card preloaded with up to $4,000 for job-related courses. The Diversity Scholarship allows aspiring nurses to cut their hours and attend school full-time with no drop in salary.

President, CEO & Director William S. Dalton, MD, PhD

VP, HR & Organizational Development Yvette Tremonti

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 55%

Women among top earners 53%

Women on board of directors 25%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 0%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 12%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 4%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement 57%  

Do formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance? No

 

*Percentages reflect number of women participants versus company’s total female workforce.

Moffitt Cancer Center’s Women in Investing seminar educates female employees on stock market risk and helps them develop long-term savings goals.

Many women have worked for this Tampa, FL–cancer research and treatment center for a decade or more—and considering the benefits it offers them, it’s easy to understand why. Occupying such key roles as chief financial officer, chief nursing officer and chair of the hospital board, women last year represented half of the center’s top 20% of earners. “There’s an opportunity for growth in your area and across others,” says planning director Diane Hammon, a mom who manages an all-female team. Intensive mentoring and $5,000 in tuition assistance help women succeed, as does the brand-new Acute Care Clinic, specifically designed to improve employee health. An on-site facility at headquarters provides full-time and backup child care with tuition scholarships for 77% of kids, while employees with infants, toddlers and school-age children can access in-home, sick-child and center-based backup care up to 20 times annually for just $15 to $30 per day. And talk about saving: The center’s Women in Investing seminar educates female employees on stock market risk and helps them develop long-term savings goals.

President, CEO & Director: William S. Dalton, MD, PhD

VP, HR & Organizational Development: Yvette Tremonti

Women managers/execs: 61%

Women among top earners: 38%

Women on board of directors: 29%

Women corporate executive hires in 2008: 0%

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year: 14%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year: 4%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement: 40%

Formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance: No