Supporting women’s health at all life stages
Over the last several years, more and more employers, health insurers and tech companies are paying attention to the inequities women face, making efforts to better support women’s health and unique needs. When it comes to factors like affordability, caregiving, mental health and menopause health, there are gaps to fill. New benefits offerings, digital solutions and resources have entered the market as organizations try to create a more holistic approach to women’s health.
“Women tend to be the decision makers and caretakers in health care, both when it comes to the health plan they choose and when a health situation arises within their family. It’s important for us to design service navigation, products and programs with that in mind,” shares Katie Catlender, Point32Health executive vice president and chief operations officer.
Support for every life stage
From birth planning to breastfeeding to menopause, a women’s health journey is full of complexities and questions. And as each woman’s health journey is unique, our family of companies at Point32Health understands that offering personalized care is vital. It’s why we have a number of programs and apps available to eligible Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan members designed to meet each woman where they’re at. For instance, Ovia Health’s apps navigate each individual journey through all life stages with one-on-one coaching with clinical experts, health assessments and symptom tracking.
Another option for eligible members is Maven Clinic, the world’s largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health. Maven Clinic gives members 24/7 access to board-certified reproductive endocrinologists (fertility doctors), obstetricians, gynecologists, nutritionists, mental health providers, adoption coaches and other care providers. At Point32Health we continue to be impressed by Maven Clinic’s focus on all paths to parenthood, as well as its ability to improve the value of fertility care by reducing the intensity of treatment members need to get pregnant.
Innovating for women’s health
Collaborations with programs like Maven Clinic often start with our clinical innovation team. Led by Vice President Kate Wallis, the Point32Health clinical innovation team is devoted to discovering and bringing new ideas to life to improve health outcomes. With strong program management, and analytical and clinical expertise, her team’s diverse professional backgrounds create the perfect formula for finding equitable and impactful health solutions.
One example of a program that’s becoming widely adopted in the maternal health space has been the clinical innovation team’s collaboration with Ariadne Labs. TeamBirth, which is its care process innovation program, helps to improve the safety, dignity and equity of childbirth by structuring essential information that should be communicated during every labor assessment. After a successful pilot program with UMass Memorial Medical Center, the collaboration with TeamBirth expanded in the Fall of 2023, allowing for implementation at nine hospitals across Massachusetts.
“These collaborations across the enterprise mean so much to us,” Kate shares. “Every program makes a difference in women’s health outcomes and brings us one step closer to equitable and inclusive care for all.”
For women, by women
As Katie highlighted earlier, designing products and programs with women in mind is important as many women are the health care decision makers for their families. Within our own organization, we’re fortunate to have leaders like Katie and Kate who bring their own insights and expertise as women and as mothers to the table, as well as the nearly two thirds of women who make up our workforce.
“Having voices at our table that reflect the people we’re serving really allows us to have an outside-in view on how we make decisions and continue to show up for our members,” Katie says.