Today is International Women's Day. Mosaic Medical Center - Albany President Katie Dias, DO shared some of her background and appreciation for those who paved the way for women in health care today.

I’m aware of the advantages I have as a female leader because of those who worked through the disadvantages decades ago. Gentry County Memorial Hospital/Northwest Medical Center/Mosaic Medical Center – Albany did not have a female president until 2021, yet our facility has been blessed by longevity in leadership and the need for a female leader did not come up very often. As a country, women represent 58.4% of the US workforce but only hold 35% of senior leadership positions.

My children shake their heads when I start preaching about how well they have it, telling them that my grandmothers’ main option for vocation was motherhood.

"There’s nothing wrong with working in the home, but it’s important to me that females get to choose that option."

Growing up, I saw women (including my own mother) leading. If you are from the Albany area, you know the name Elender Barrett. As the first female mayor of Albany, Elender (also known as Mrs. Albany) led with an immense amount of pride for her small hometown. Her kelly green jacket is iconic. She did not let her role as wife and mother deter her from rallying around our community and its initiatives.

At the same time, there remains an elephant in the room.

While I’ve been given every opportunity to achieve any academic goal I’ve set and been treated as a peer (both in status and in title) with my male counterparts, I don’t know that society was prepared to respond to the present-day magnitude of gender equality. Some women still feel that they must choose between being a wife and mother and having a career outside the home. Even when a woman doesn’t feel as if she must choose, sometimes the availability and cost of childcare makes the decision for her. Then, add in generational challenges, such as the expectation to be the primary caregiver for aging or ill parents, and the “choice” becomes overwhelming.

I have felt (and continue to occasionally feel) guilt — that “mom guilt” — that working moms know all too well. While it seemed to wane once my children were out of diapers, in school and being more independent, I’m now in the “sporting event every night” season of parenthood. A home cooked meal with my family sitting around the table means more to me than it ever has.

"Sitting in the stands, cheering my kids on, fills my soul with happiness."

Being truly present when I’m with my family has been a challenge, but I’ve been able to strike a balance (had to turn off those Epic Haiku alerts, whew!).

Through all this, I have also been fortunate to have a caring, hard-working partner in my husband. He cooks, he cleans, he takes the kids where they need to go. Any “mom guilt” I feel is not a result of his lack of involvement – I think it’s truly innate to women.

As women, we also now can connect with our counterparts, not only in our communities, but across the globe. This strengthens our support systems, while providing us perspective, seeing challenges that are faced by women of all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate the people who face today’s challenges, while standing on the shoulders of women who blazed the trail before us. We celebrate that we have more opportunities than previous generations. We celebrate the special differences in gender equality and traditional household roles. We celebrate the men who support us. We celebrate each other for our uniqueness and all that we bring to the Mosaic team. May we continue to pave the way for generations of women to come.