March is Women’s History Month and we at Shields celebrate our female staff who are vital to the success of our mission. Our work force is 71 percent female and their contributions drive our outcomes and business every single day.
March is Women’s History Month and today is International Women’s Day! This month, we recognize and celebrate the role women have played in our country and around the world… and especially here at Shields!
Women make up almost 47 percent of the healthcare workers in the United States. However here at Shields Health Solutions, we are proud to be a healthcare company where women comprise an amazing 71 percent of our staff!
Women have been at the forefront of Shields since its inception in 2012 and we continue to be a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion. When the company was started, there were eight people on the payroll and six of them were women. Now, Shields has grown to 949 employees and 674 of them are women!
Angela Killay, Director of Patient Support Center Operations, was the very first woman to be employed at Shields. She started out as a Pharmacy Liaison and is now a member of the Senior Leadership Team, making decisions that innovate and move Shields forward every day.
“I am officially employee number three in the Shields HR books,” Angela said. “As the first woman working at Shields, I believe that I am tangible proof regarding the company’s views towards women. We’re proof that incredibly successful companies are diverse and inclusive and having women’s voices at the decision-making table is critical.”
We are constantly growing as a company, and with that, we are always assessing our efforts to be more diverse and inclusive. Recently, we have made tremendous strides with numerous Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), including the Black Excellence Group on Race, Equity, Advancement, and Teamwork (BE GREAT) and our brand-new Women’s ERG.
The Women’s ERG brings together a diverse and supportive mix of women who, through discussion of topics relevant to today’s issues, educate, inspire and encourage women to reflect on their own goals and status as they strive to move higher in their organization.
It is a safe space where females at Shields can connect regularly to identify opportunities to create greater impact which leads to results. They focus on how Shields can best support women who aspire to grow within the company and promote the advancement and development for all female employees.
“I joined the Women’s ERG to meet, interact with and learn from other strong, empowered women,” said Dawn DiPasquale, Director of Clinical Training. “I feel like there is always room for individual growth and knowledge, so I’m super excited to gain wisdom and insight from these women!”
The Women’s ERG has been an early success. It already boasts more than 100 members and continues to grow every day.
“The Shields executive and leadership teams have continued to empower women to come to the table and use their voice,” Angela said. “I am inspired every day as I watch the women of Shields grow in their confidence and feel empowered that they are equal and respected by everyone.”
Women have propelled Shields since the beginning and as we continue our rapid growth around the country, women will be the ones pioneering that progress.
