WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) is proud to announce the publication of The Women’s Guide to Healthcare Leadership: The Why and The How, a new book by Patricia A. Gabow, MD, MACP, one of the most accomplished physician executives and healthcare innovators in the United States.
Dr. Gabow brings singular authority to the subject. She served as CEO of Denver Health — a nationally recognized model for high-quality, cost-effective care for vulnerable populations — for 20 years before retiring in 2012.
Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, Google Chief Health Officer (Retired), writes in the Foreword, “Anyone who is a gatekeeper of talent, resources, or policy has a role to play because when we empower women to lead in healthcare, we enable transformative change that can positively impact the health of generations to come.
Dr. Gabow is the perfect person to shape this advice given that she is an extraordinary leader admired by many — including me — as a model for principled and effective leadership.”
Grounded in Evidence, Built for Practice
The Women’s Guide to Healthcare Leadership makes the documented case that American healthcare urgently needs more women in leadership — not as a matter of fairness alone, but because the evidence shows women leaders produce better outcomes.
The book also takes seriously the obstacles women face. It examines gender bias and the glass ceiling, the motherhood penalty and pay inequity, and the persistent challenge of work-life balance — not to discourage, but to prepare. For each barrier, the book offers concrete approaches drawn from research and experience.
A signature feature is the “thought exercise” format woven throughout every chapter. Rather than presenting information passively, the book invites readers to engage directly — to examine their own institutions, reflect on their own careers, and begin developing their own strategies.
A Bonus Chapter: Reflections of Women Leaders
The book concludes with a bonus chapter drawn from in-depth interviews with 10 accomplished women healthcare leaders who represent the full breadth of the field: health system executives, academic physicians, nurses, government leaders, scientists, and philanthropists. Together, their voices make a powerful collective argument — and offer the kind of inspiration that only lived experience can provide.
About the Author
Patricia A. Gabow, MD, MACP, is a national healthcare leader who focused on the care of vulnerable populations, healthcare institutions, and women’s leadership. Her career encompassed clinical care, research, and administration. She is professor emerita of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, past CEO of Denver Health, and a member of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. She is the author of over 140 articles and 37 book chapter and three books, The Lean Prescription, TIME’S NOW for Women Healthcare Leaders, and The Catholic Church and Its Hospitals.
About the American Association for Physician Leadership
The core philosophy of the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) is that leadership is learned. AAPL is focused on the personal transformation of all physicians, and through them the organizations they serve. With the goal of improving patient outcomes, workforce wellness, and a refinement of all healthcare delivery, AAPL has remained the only association solely focused on providing professional development, leadership education, and management training exclusively for physicians. Since its founding in 1975, AAPL has empowered more than 300,000 physicians across 35 countries—including CEOs, chief medical officers, and physicians at all levels of healthcare. www.physicianleaders.org
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SOURCE American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL)
