March – The month we acknowledge and celebrate Women’s History across the world. Did you know women were the driving force in creating and developing many aspects of healthcare? Let’s take a look at some of the Who’s Who of Women in our industry…
Nursing
- Florence Nightingale – Founder of modern nursing. Did you know her parents forbade her from being a nurse?!
- Betty Smith Williams – Founding member of the National Black Nurses Association. Did you know she was the first African American to teach at a university in California?
- Clara Barton – Founder of the American Red Cross, abolitionist, and campaigner for women’s rights. Did you know she had no formal training as a nurse but joined the Army to care for soldiers on the front lines of the Civil War?
Speech Therapy
- Dr. Sara Stinchfield Hawk – Co-founder of ASHA in 1925. Did you know she was the first person in America to receive her Ph.D. for Speech Pathology?
- Dr. Jeri Logemann – Founding Member of the Dysphagia Research Society. Did you know she developed the Modified Barium Swallow test?
Occupational Therapy
- Eleanor Clark Slagle – Considered the mother of OT. Did you know she was the first female president of AOTA?
- Teepa Snow – Founder of Positive Approach to Care. Did you know she graduated from Duke with a degree in Zoology before pursuing a career in OT?
Physical Therapy
- Mary McMillan – Founding mother of PT. Did you know she was the first president of the American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association?
- Maggie Knott & Dorothy Voss – Developers of the PNF approach. Did you know they co-authored the first PNF book in the 1960s?
Be sure to look around you and celebrate the women in your facilities — both your staff and patients/residents. Take a few minutes and find a “Did you know” about them! They are all a part of Women’s History Month!