Technology is historically a male-dominated industry. While women in the United States hold 57 percent of workforce occupations, they only hold 26 percent of professional computing occupations. Further, only 20 percent of Fortune 100 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are female.
In a predominately male-led field, Netgain is happy to have the best (maybe we’re biased?!) female leaders in the IT industry.
We recently met with some of our fearless female leaders about what makes their job unique and why they love serving in the technology industry. Today we’ll feature some of them, the unique talents they bring to IT, how they encourage other female Netgainers and what they love about IT.
Gail Stanger, VP of Client Services
How do you work with Netgain clients and team members to further the IT field?
I oversee several of our teams at Netgain – client implementations, account management and support. My goal is to ensure our teams understand the technical challenges our clients face and ensure we can quickly resolve these issues with courtesy, professionalism and expertise.
What do you love about IT?
Change – I love change and learning new things. The future of technology and its place in our clients’ businesses is incredible. The potential is endless, and that’s exciting. Plus, my family and friends think I’m really technical, but in reality, I just know some really good technologists.
How do you encourage women at Netgain?
I was the first female in a leadership position at Netgain. Over the past five years, I’ve been able to help numerous women at Netgain build their career path in a company and industry of mostly men. I’ve coached women on how to communicate effectively, break down barriers and prove their worth and value. We’ve reduced employee turnover, added more female leaders and increased client satisfaction in the process.
Kathy Winscher, Director of Client Services
Why did you choose a career in IT?
I’ve led operations teams across many industries for the last 20 years. While we’re a technology company, client service is our true mission, and that extends far beyond technology. Taking care of our client’s requests and partnering with them to grow their business and provide exceptional care drives our team’s success.
What do you love most about what we do at Netgain?
One of our core specialties is healthcare IT, and it’s one of our nation’s most important platforms. Working at Netgain provides me with an avenue to pave the way for technology, support solutions, security and confidentiality. I feel like we play a part in our nation’s healthcare delivery – and that’s motivating.
Sandra Stork, Clinical IT Specialist
What is your role at Netgain?
As a Clinical IT Specialist, I work with clients to implement new clinical software, improve workflow processes, understand and help clients meet government program requirements and manage the administration of their EHR and Patient Portal. Internally, I work with our team to help them better understand the clinical environment and how to support our clients.
How have you used technology to improve a practice’s bottom line?
There’s a common misconception that technology is just an expense, but it can also help a practice’s finances. I have supported a large number of physicians in earning millions of dollars in incentive money through the CMS Incentive Program, which is more commonly referred to as Meaningful Use. I strive to improve efficiency and create a better user experience by working closely with software vendors on behalf of my clients; I’ve been recognized by SRS Health (a leading orthopaedic EHR platform) with a Leadership Award for that reason.
In a male-dominated industry, Netgain is fortunate to have many talented and knowledgeable women on our team. The value they bring to our clients and our team members is irreplaceable. Thank you, women in IT leadership roles everywhere, for all that you do to empower and encourage women to pursue careers in IT.