SCAI 2026 Women in Innovations-How to be an Advocate and Sponsorship of Women Colleagues, Dr. Klein

How to be an Advocate and Sponsorship of Women Colleagues, Dr. Klein

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker argues that advancing women in interventional cardiology requires more than mentorship—it requires sponsorship, meaning using influence to create real opportunities. He says diversity and inclusion improve patient care, satisfaction, adherence, and outcomes, and that inclusion is a moral imperative. Despite near parity in medical school, women drop off at each career stage, leaving only a small minority in interventional cardiology and especially in high-profile procedures like TAVR.  <br /><br />He offers action steps: assign women to high-risk and complex cases, amplify their work publicly, advocate for them behind closed doors, invite them into leadership, panels, trial steering committees, and industry roles, and support policies around pregnancy and radiation safety. He emphasizes structural changes such as transparent case distribution, committee assignments, and early leadership pipelines.  <br /><br />His core message: sponsorship builds the future of interventional cardiology, and the field must intentionally create equal opportunity.

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Keywords

interventional cardiology

women in medicine

sponsorship

diversity and inclusion

leadership opportunities