Women CEOs: lonely at the top. Men still dominate upper echelons of healthcare management.

When researchers set out to examine opportunities for women as hospital CEOs, they studied three groups of CEOs: 22 men, 24 laywomen, and 22 women religious. They found some important trends: Laywomen CEOs tend to be at hospitals with the fewest beds and the lowest budgets, staffs, and salaries. No women run hospitals affiliated with medical schools. Laywomen have fewer support systems than men and women religious. They face greater institutional barriers, have more job and family conflicts, and receive limited financial support for educational advancement. Few women are hired into positions that allow them to advance to the ranks of CEOs. Hiring patterns disclose that CEOs, both women and men, tend to follow sex-role stereotypes when hiring for certain positions. A number of laywomen do not attend board meetings. Many Catholic hospitals have provided important and unique opportunities for women--women religious. Now these opportunities are fading as membership in religious institutes dwindles and women religious are replaced at the helms of healthcare facilities by men. Women religious can play a pivotal role in ensuring the participation of laywomen in healthcare. They must take a critical look at hiring practices within their institutions.