Work-Life Balance: Insights from Moms Working in Healthcare

Lisa Reichard, RN, Director of Business Development
August 16, 2010

Summer vacations are behind us. Everyone is working towards reaching their organizations' goals, and a successful close in 2010. Suddenly, August is here and the kids are back to school. Mothers are pulled in many different directions these days. They feel the tug of career, family, and social and leisure activities. How do today's working mothers - who now make up just over half of the U.S. workforce - prioritize between "work" on the one hand and "life" on the other?

According to Working Mother magazine's article on " Most Powerful Moms: Health Care Leaders" published earlier this year, healthcare "and its nexus of pharmaceuticals, research, insurance, private and public providers is one of the largest employers of women across the board."

The article goes on to relate that: "Health care is the biggest issue of concern to Americans today, both in Washington and around the kitchen table. Simultaneously, the number of women holding power in health care - including many working mothers - is on the rise. From the White House to the executive suite, more working mothers are calling the shots - while also raising children and making health-care decisions for their own families.

"It is in corporate executive ranks where women have arguably made the most headway. WellPoint's CEO Angela Braly is not only one of the most powerful working mothers in the country but also among the most powerful chief executives. The mother of three (who admittedly gets help from her husband, a stay-at-home dad) heads an insurer that has more than 40,000 employees and reported more than $60 billion in revenues in 2008."

How does she, and other working mothers like her, do it? Billian's HealthDATA interviewed three working mothers in the healthcare industry - Jackie Beaubaire, Thomson Reuters; Sue Holland, T-System; and Amy Sims, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - and asked them how they keep it all together.

Jackie Beaubaire
Director, Content Governance,
Thomson Reuters - Healthcare
Chicago

"Everything is intermingled. I do some work stuff at home and some home stuff at work I am fortunate that I work at an organization that cares more about the output than where it is performed," Beaubaire explained. "Sadly, meal planning is an afterthought. Luckily, my mother helps out and picks up fresh groceries. I work at home after the kids go to sleep. I also am very good about getting my work done ... very efficient. I think about strategy (and approach) while driving, etc. Regarding the balance between work and social commitments, this is tough during the week. My husband and I trade off childcare for evening events when we cannot go together. Weekends are much easier. I want to do a better job of finding "me" time. Working out helps. I'm looking forward to a vacation alone with my husband sometime in the near future."

Sue Holland, RN
Director of Healthcare Sales,
T-System
Dallas

"I actually keep track of my work and family obligations on my PC and give a hard copy to the family. My husband actually takes care of childcare, so this frees me up to focus on work as needed. Balancing work and social can be tricky and this gets adjusted week by week. Work comes before social, but I do value a balance. For me, the best way to relieve stress and avoid burnout is to get on a routine workout program."

Amy Sims, RN
Assistant Manager of Nursing,
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston
Atlanta

"I'm into lists and calendars. My husband is supportive and flexible. We start the week with a 'week in review' - talk through work schedules, meetings, practices, volunteering at school, work projects - and agree on a plan," Sims says. "I cook easy meals ahead of time. The only thing that can get tricky is when I'm on call - my entire family, tennis team and friends know to have a backup plan in case I get called to work. My loyalty to attend extra activities and to get involved has definitely shifted to family first over work. I don't volunteer for things that conflict with my family commitments. I'm very fortunate to have a leadership team and peers who have children involved in extracurricular activities as well, so they know what it's like to juggle and we are all of the same mindset. We do a great job covering each other's shifts and working things out. I am incredibly loyal to work and I give it my all, but I've learned that on my days off, to "turn it off" and not think about work. Playing tennis also helps to relieve stress."

What advice do other working parents in the healthcare field have to offer? Join the conversation going on at the Healthcare Intelligence Hub group on LinkedIn and share work-life balance stories and tips.

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