Women's History Month: unified mission, unique roles

At AdventHealth, where women comprise 77% of the workforce, Women’s History Month strikes a particularly sonorous chord. While the majority of women at AdventHealth work in nursing, they also work in areas where women are often less well-represented, such as finance, information technology and supply chain.

Joy Block-Gonzalez is one of those who finds herself in a field that typically has been male-dominated. As vice president of finance and chief accounting officer for AdventHealth, she believes her chosen field is well represented at AdventHealth by women across all levels, describing it as diverse and rewarding.

“I’ve enjoyed great collaboration from amazing men and women who are willing to lend a hand at any moment,” she said. “I recognize that I don’t have all the answers.”

Gonzalez believes in extending opportunities for mentorship, having navigated different challenges throughout her professional career. “While my days are filled with technical accounting and finance discussions and puzzles, I’m passionate about supporting and mentoring those around me,” she said. “I'm always proud when I see growth in the careers of team members I’ve supported.”

Jenny Pardo, technical product manager in AdventHealth Information Technology (AIT), said she feels privileged to represent women in IT, emphasizing the different perspectives women bring to problem-solving.

“Growing up, I was always the go-to person for any IT issues my family and friends faced,” said Pardo. “I noticed how technology was evolving at a rapid pace, and I didn’t want to miss any of it. I love caring for our team members' needs and finding ways to help them improve processes with easy-to-use technology.”

Pardo is grateful for the opportunities she has to learn, grow and give back in a fast-paced environment. She's passionate about bridging the knowledge gap among team members by creating products that bring value.

“I’m excited about all the ways women contribute to driving the organization’s impact in our communities,” Pardo said. “My role challenges me to care for caregivers — directly and indirectly — and that’s something that fills my heart every day.”

A desire to create solutions that save the organization time and money is what drew Elise MacCarroll-Wright to her role as vice president of ancillary and support services in supply chain.

“I love connecting clinicians and leaders from across the organization to cultivate ideas that facilitate and align to best-practice processes and strategy,” Wright said. “Every dollar is a patient dollar, and it’s our responsibility to maximize our spend, while driving the clinical agenda.”

Wright works closely with Marisa Farabaugh, chief supply chain officer for AdventHealth, who was recently named one of the 100 most influential leaders in the 2023 Global Women Supply Chain Leader list — a recognition that celebrates women whose contributions to their organizations and the industry provide inspiration to the growing number of women in supply chain.

“Marisa is a well-respected powerhouse who pours herself into her team and drives performance through clear direction, communication, connection and pure adrenaline,” Wright said. “She is a strong female role model with tremendous credibility in our industry.”