National Women Physicians Day, celebrated on Feb. 3, commemorates the birthday of Elizabeth Blackwell, MD, who in 1849 became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the U.S. Today, women make up only 38% of practicing physicians nationwide and 52% of current medical students.

HonorHealth marked this important day with a series of events that brought together our medical community to celebrate the invaluable contributions of women physicians. The celebration included special recognition events at all HonorHealth medical centers, complementing an inspiring CME event held earlier featuring renowned trauma surgeon Molly J. Douglas, MD.

A day of recognition and connection

Women Physicians Day lunches

The Feb. 3 celebration featured special luncheons held in the physician lounges across all HonorHealth medical centers. Each woman physician received a rose and a personalized thank you note as a token of appreciation for their dedication to patient care. Additionally, physical thank you boards were set up in the lounges, allowing physicians and APPs to write their messages of appreciation, like the virtual appreciation wall, but in a tangible and more personal form.

Community engagement and gratitude

Virtual appreciation board

One of the most touching elements of this year’s celebration was the virtual thank you wall, where HonorHealth colleagues shared heartfelt messages of appreciation. The digital platform allowed team members from across our facilities to express their gratitude about the impact our women physicians have made on patient care and the medical community.

No-host happy hour

To continue the celebration, physicians gathered for a no-host happy hour that evening, providing additional opportunities for connection and collaboration.

Professional development and impact

Leading up to National Women Physicians Day, the HonorHealth Women Physicians Leadership Council (WPLC) hosted an evening of connection and professional development at the Bob Bové Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Douglas delivered an inspiring presentation titled “No fairy godmother: Speaking up, showing up and leading when you are the one who brings your work to life,” moderated by Priya Radhakrishnan, MD.

The good girl double bind

Dr. Douglas’s presentation explored how women physicians can overcome challenges in leadership positions by managing fears, sharing clear vision and creating psychological safety for teams, addressing issues like the “good girl double bind” where women are often criticized for both assertive and passive behaviors.

Key attributes that drive change

She highlighted the attributes that tend to create change, focusing on vision, influence, decisiveness, creativity and power.

Post-event evaluations revealed a significant impact: 87.5% of attendees reported feeling better equipped to advocate for gender equality in medicine and 75% reported improvements in their approach to self-care and communication skills.

Attendee feedback was overwhelmingly positive. “Dr. Douglas was fantastic! Her candor drove home many of her points, and she was an amazing speaker,” noted one participant. Another shared, “Amazing evening — great food, great company and both speakers, Dr. Douglas and Dr. Radhakrishnan, were outstanding.”

Voices from our women physicians

The WPLC events provided an opportunity to hear directly from our women physicians about their experiences in medicine and at HonorHealth:

Marisa Sosinsky, MD, neurologist: “HonorHealth has a commitment both to supporting female patients and female physicians. There’s been a lot of initiative to have female medical leaders and bringing women together to see how they can implement better care for the female population.”

Tamara Djurisic, MD, primary care physician: “I’m very proud to work for the company that actually has the first purely female cardiology group for female patients as well as the gastrointestinal group that has a complete female team to address female needs.”

Shital Patel, MD, primary care physician: “I had the perfect opportunity at HonorHealth as a female physician. They were extremely flexible. They worked with me and I was able to start office practice the way I wanted to.”

Sara Zakem, MD, radiation oncologist: “My advice to any young woman who wants to go into medicine is it takes a lot of work, but it’s a very rewarding field. I get to wake up every day and know that I make a difference in people’s lives, so it’s definitely worth it.”

Building a stronger HonorHealth

The celebration highlighted how our women physicians continue to strengthen HonorHealth through their dedication to patient care, commitment to excellence and leadership. From primary care to specialty care, their diverse expertise makes our medical community stronger every day.

The WLPC, co-directed by Julie Crichton, MD, and Claire Bowey, MD, continues to create opportunities for connection, professional development and mentorship throughout the year. Physicians interested in participating in future WPLC events or joining the WPLC can learn more at azhin.org/HHWPLC.

As we reflect on National Women Physicians Day 2025, we recognize that celebrating our women physicians isn’t limited to a single day. HonorHealth remains committed to supporting and amplifying the voices of women in medicine throughout our organization.