MGH Institute Again Among Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts

The 2023 Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts have been named, and for the second consecutive year, the MGH Institute of Health Professions is on the list.

“Our selection speaks to the fact that there's solid leadership at the IHP that has resulted in a strong organizational environment that focuses on the important issues of the day,” said Dr. Milone-Nuzzo, now in her sixth year as president of the IHP. “We pay attention to issues of social justice, equity, and belonging because those have made our organization a place where individuals are proud to be part of and interested in contributing to.”

Compiled by The Women’s Edge and its partner, The Boston Globe, the selection was made public at a breakfast gathering inside the Marriott Copley Hotel in Boston on Friday and the special section on this list was published in yesterday’s Boston Sunday Globe Magazine.

Selection criteria included revenue, operating budget, governing board makeup, innovative projects, and workplace and management diversity during 2022. More than four out of five MGH Institute employees (81%) are women, as is 44% of its Board of Trustees. In addition, 15% of employees are women of color.

Innovation was a critical factor in the IHP’s selection, with the creation of the new School of Healthcare Leadership front and center. The new school included two new online, part-time, academic programs, and a part-time online component to reach out to a new population of students interested in healthcare without becoming a provider.

“I think the School of Healthcare Leadership has added a dimension to the IHP that we didn't have before,” said Milone-Nuzzo. “For example, by including healthcare digital analytics, we not only can provide the care but we can understand the impact of the provision of care on the quality and safety of individual patients. We can transform care by recognizing and building these data analytics into the healthcare delivery team. We can transform care because we have more data on which to base excellent quality decisions.”

Over the course of her tenure, Milone-Nuzzo has supported employee participation  in  Leadership Women America, developing student leadership through the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Fellows program, and offering flexibility in the workplace.

“We think a lot about what all our employees need, but we recognize sometimes there is a disproportionate burden on our women employees,” said Milone-Nuzzo. “If people need flexible schedules, support, or daycare facilities, we have all those resources. We recognize the flexibility that’s needed for these individuals who are young mothers or those who have some responsibility related to caregiving.

“For us, it's raising the consciousness, among all our employees, about the importance of supporting women, not only in their education but in their employment.”

Milone-Nuzzo joins five other Mass General Brigham leaders who were also honored: Anne Klibanski, President and Chief Executive Officer of MGB; Lynette Watkins, President and CEO of Cooley Dickinson Hospital; Denise Schepici, President and Chief Operating Officer of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital; Lynn A. Stofer, President of Mass General Brigham Community Physicians; and Marcela G. del Carmen, President of Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and Executive Vice President of MGB. The MGH Institute is the only degree-granting affiliate of Mass General Brigham.

“Paula’s inclusion in this selective list is affirmation that she has been the right person all along to lead the IHP,” said Jeanette Ives-Erickson, the Institute’s Board of Trustees Chair. “The Institute looks much different today than it did when Paula took over. We’ve grown our schools, programs, offerings, relationships, and influence within the Mass General Brigham system. We look forward to continuing this trend under Paula’s leadership.”

“I think one of the biggest transitions that we've made over the last six years is that we've come out from the shadows of invisibility and have been recognized as the workforce engine for MGB, as a significant community contributor, and as an organization that is making a significant impact on healthcare delivery,” said a proud Milone-Nuzzo. “Those are the kinds of things that I think have made an enormous difference for us. It’s only going to get better.”

The Women’s Edge – formerly known as The Commonwealth Institute – is a Boston-based nonprofit organization devoted to advancing women in leadership positions. This is the 23rd year it has released its Top 100 list, which was created through a nomination process and includes for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

Do you have a story the Office of Strategic Communications should know about? If so, let us know.