Macon Magazine

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: maconmagazine.com PHOTO BY JAVE BJORKMAN OUR 2022/2023 SEASON The best part of the magic of community theatre is that YOU can be a part of it. We're "pulling back the curtain" this year to give you great drama. 478-471-PLAY | MACONLITTLETHEATRE.ORG | 4220 FORSYTH ROAD T H E W O L V E S M ay 1 2 - 2 1 , 2 0 2 3 / / D I R E C T E D BY J P H AY N I E An Award-Winning Play by Sarah DeLappe MAY 12-21 GET TICKETS AND FIND OUT MORE MACONLITTLETHEATRE.ORG be treated as poorly as we ourselves permit," she said. "Women want to get compensated fairly, and not just based on their gender," Walker agreed. "We know that women are paid less than men. While money is certainly important, it's one piece of a larger picture." Nowadays, there are more women than men pursuing careers in pharmacy, too. "Pharmacy schools continue to see this trend, with 65 percent of the classes made up of women," reported Cheryl Stapleton, PharmD., Piedmont Macon System director of pharmacy. The pharmacy field provides many opportunities to work in many stages of life, making it easier for women to have a work-life balance, she said. "In the past decade, more remote order verification jobs have emerged that allow women to work from home. Additionally, pharmacies that are open 24 hours a day offer multiple shi s, giving women choices and flexibility with their schedules," she said. Stapleton did not set out on a career path with the intent of achieving leadership in the pharmaceutical industry, but a er working in pharmaceutical roles in Augusta and Macon, she joined the team at what is now Piedmont Macon as a clinical pharmacist. She held several roles, climbing the leadership ladder, until being named the system director of pharmacy in 2019. "While I didn't initially have the goal of becoming a director, I worked for directors and leaders who encouraged me to apply for each position as it became available, ultimately guiding me to leadership," Stapleton said. "I hope that my role as a female leader in the field will encourage other women to seek leadership positions in the health care field, too." Female leadership in medical initiatives has a bright outlook. Sumner, in her role as dean at Mercer, has a special interest in rural health and health disparities. Mercer Medicine recently made an announcement at the state level about the rural health care gap. "Rural communities suffer from lack of access to care," Sumner explained. "Bringing access to these areas and assuring quality medical care close to home will help every family, and women are influential in the health care their families receive. I assure you, when it comes to the health care of children, the mothers of rural Georgia will be our biggest champions." Women in medicine may have a built-in advantage, according to Callins. "The world we live in has not fully embraced gender equality, but still we strive and do amazing things because we do not get distracted when others underestimate our abilities," she said. "We allow our work to speak for itself. If it does not exist, create it. We must continue to take care of business by supporting each other while achieving and surpassing our leadership goals." CARLA BELCHER | SUBMITTED PHOTO 66 maconmagazine.com | APRIL/MAY 2023

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