Letters: Better assessment approach needed to fill C-suite positions, board roles

Regarding the article “Celebrating the accomplishments of women leaders,” I agree that we need to see many more women assume leadership roles in healthcare organizations.

I suspect that a big part of the challenge is the method by which leaders are hired and promoted in organizations, often using the same practices that have been in place for 50-plus years. There are typically a series of interviews by different stakeholder groups, often using behavioral questions and scenarios. In the end, the decision often comes down to confidence, charisma, and a match that mirrors the interviewers (who often are white males).

We seek those like us. Until more women make it into C-suite and board roles, this will not change very quickly unless we rely on a data-driven solution to reduce some inherent biases. Forward-thinking organizations are using data tools to streamline and focus the interview and selection process to the specific skills and needs of the organization in that specific role, saving time and eliminating bias.

I’d suggest that as more organizations use the power of data-driven decisions, we’ll see this become a much different picture, as it should be.

Dawn Garcia
Founder and principal
Pursuit of Excellence
Eau Claire, Wis.

Regarding the article “Joe Biden draws line against progressives on healthcare,” former Vice President Joe Biden’s proposal for an Affordable Care Act 2.0 is a little bit better than the status quo. But it’s not the cure to what ails our healthcare system.

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), all hoping to secure the Democratic nomination for the presidency, have come out strongly for Medicare for all. Sanders, in particular, has been pushing single-payer for decades. I heard him speak to a private national meeting of 40 major hospital system CEOs back in the ’90s saying as much.

I’ve followed Biden through the years in my former role as a senior executive. He’s a down-to-earth, follow-the-crowd guy who’s a natural consensus builder. Biden’s current health reform proposal reflects his middle-of-the-road nature and lack of progressive instincts.

Unfortunately, his vague “expand Obamacare” plan relies on a basic misconception: Our current healthcare financing system is just fine and simply needs to be expanded to those now uninsured. His position is incorrect.

Surveys already show that those covered by employer health plans are less satisfied than those on Medicare. And it will get much worse. As the cost of coverage continues to rise, employers are taking an even bigger hit on benefit costs, so they’re passing them along to their workers. Employee deductibles have risen rapidly, as have premiums and co-pays, a trend that will continue as employers aim for increased profits by decreasing benefits.

It’s true that because of constant, successful lobbying by insurers and drug companies, a significant segment of the population is against losing their private insurance and being transferred to Medicare. The GOP has played on these fears and made moderates like Biden afraid to advocate for what he knows is morally and fiscally right and inevitable: single-payer healthcare.

Jack Bernard
Peachtree City, Ga.