Women leading the way at Doral healthcare construction site
MIAMI - Women are leading the way at a construction site in Doral and they hope to inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps.
The future home of UHealth Doral features 160,000 square feet, with more than 60 exam rooms and full imaging capabilities.
The medical facility is scheduled to open this September.
"It's really bringing world-class academic healthcare to the city of Doral," said Vandana Pathak, the Assistant Vice President for Ambulatory Service at the University of Miami Health System.
"The University of Miami's Health System is a very diverse group of women leaders and so is Robins and Morton our contractor. We're excited to bring that diversity to both leadership as well as frontline construction work."
Ivy Armstrong is the Senior Project Manager with Robins and Morton.
She says she grew up in construction and is excited to see more and more women entering the field.
"I believe there's a trend that has started in the construction industry for more women to step into, not only management positions but positions of all kinds," Armstrong said.
According to Labor Finders, the number of women working in the construction industry increased 53% over the last decade.
As far as healthcare, the latest State of Women in Academic Medicine report found while women currently make up more than 50% of medical school applicants, they account for roughly 20% of leadership roles.
"Women are more detail-oriented, we can multitask, by nature, we can bring family together," said Soudabeh Eskandari, the Senior Project Manager of Construction, Renovations and Relocations for UHealth.
"Right now, we see more women getting involved especially in management and construction management. My background is in architecture. So I see more women in design, but then we switch to management because we have the knowledge and background."
Iva Esteves says professional mentorship got her to where she is today.
Now, she's serving as an example to the next generation.
"It makes me feel proud. I have a six-year-old daughter that looks up to me. She thinks it's the coolest job in the world," Esteves said.
Robins and Morton actually offer a mentorship program specifically for women in construction named for Barbara Wilson, a woman who started out as an assistant and eventually became the construction company's vice president of marketing.