Mike Smith’s Post

Where do the meaningful innovations in women’s health come from? Why do so few therapies exist for conditions that impact only women, mostly women, or impact them differently? The answer to both questions lies in MONEY. Innovations flow when the money for basic research flows. If we don’t understand how an ovary or a fallopian tube fundamentally work, or how something like, you know, estrogen, actually impacts the brain…there can be no innovation. But in 2024, this is changing. Meet two women who have the power to influence agendas and direct money to important areas of women’s health. Next Friday morning, October 11, as part of the 7th annual virtual Hitlab Women’s Health Tech Challenge (WHTC), I’ll interview Dr. Jennifer Garrison co-founder of ProdutiveHealth.org and Assistant Professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging . She’ll talk about how the ovary is the key to women’s health throughout her life, and the over 40 basic research studies she’s funded to date. And I’ll speak with Dr. Sarah Temkin of the Office of Women’s Health Research at the National Institutes of Health. She’ll talk about how the NIH’s work to increase women’s funding is playing out. With so much work yet to be done, innovation and funding are the lifeblood of #womenshealth. In addition to our panel, the WHTC - taking place from 1 PM to 5:30 ET (10:00 AM to 2:30 PST) - will showcase 6 amazing innovators chosen from over 150 applicants whose companies are set to improve women’s health in the present. It’s an agenda that will touch on all the key parts of the women’s health ecosystem, with the last hour dedicated to small group networking.  So join us to get a sense of what might change your life…and what’s coming up that could impact your daughter’s. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/geanmh5R #womenshealth #femtech #midlifehealth #maternalhealth #menopause #ovaries #healthequity @NIHSEED @NIH #futureofmedicine #innovation #obgyn #reproductivehealth HITLAB

Did You Know? 📢 For many years, #women have been underrepresented in medical trials, leading to treatments that are not always tailored to their needs. Only 4.5% of medical research budgets are allocated to studying women's health. Creating significant gaps in diagnosis and treatment exist. 💔 1 in 3 women will suffer from #heartdisease, yet women are seven times more likely to be misdiagnosed during a heart attack compared to men. Women have different symptoms! 🧠 Women are twice as likely to develop #Alzheimer's disease compared to men. ⚕️ The prevalence of #autoimmunediseases is higher in women, and diagnosis can take between 4 to 10 years! 🌸 #Menopause is characterized by tens of different symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve women's lives. As part of impact.51's initiative to raise awareness about #womenhealth, we have created a Women’s Health #EscapeRoom together with Quala Group which is currently showcased at the Ministry of Health. We aim to raise #awareness among women, medical teams, and policymakers. Our goal is to place women at the center of healthcare and integrate a gender perspective into medicine. The feedback we have received highlights the knowledge gap and the importance of women taking responsibility for their #health. It is equally important for medical teams, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to understand and tailor responses to the unique physiological needs of women. Women make up #51% of the population. Women are not "small men." A  gender lens is required to adapt treatments and research to meet the unique needs of each woman. Women's health is not a niche – it is crucial and significant for everyone. Be part of the movement! Join us in impacting women’s health! Try our escape room to learn more about the importance of women's health! Contact us if you want to bring the escape room to your organization and help raise awareness in women’s health in an experiential way. Michal Shalem Michal Lebenthal Andreson, LlB Aravah Kedar Tirosh Nicky Newfield Impact Nation Gila Tolub Shelly Bloch Sivan Sadan Inbal Zafir-Lavie Keren Leshem Miri Polachek Boaz Hermon Gal Yodfat #WomensHealth #Impact.51 #EscapeRoom #womenshealthmatters #GenderLens

Blueprint to Close the Women’s Health Gap! I. 75 Million DALYs! Women live 25% more of their lives in poor health when compared to men. Closing the health gap between men and women could unlock 75 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) annually and $1 trillion in annual global GDP II. Conditions Nine selected conditions drive a third of the women’s health gap – reducing their effects could create around $400 billion in annual global GDP by 2040. 1. Ischaemic heart disease 2. Cervical cancer 3. Breast cancer 4. Maternal hypertensive disorders 5. Post-partum haemorrhage 6. Menopause and perimenopause 7. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) 8. Migraine 9. Endometriosis III. Actions Examining these conditions highlights potential opportunities for immediate progress and actions needed to close the women’s health gap over time: 1. Count women Improve data collection methodologies and set standards for sex- and gender-based data collection to increase the understanding of women’s healt 2. Study women Conduct research into women’s health and the drivers of sex-based differences, undertake sex-disaggregated analyses and support basic science and research that focuses on conditions specific to women across their lifespans 3. Care for women Adopt clinical practice guidelines that align with the accepted evidence for sex- and gender-based care, and enhance clinical education and the care delivery systems needed to effectively implement them 4. Include all women Invest in research, clinical education, training and care delivery, with a lens on heath equity and inclusion 5. Invest in women Funnel resources towards women’s health, from the bench to the bedside and beyond, to accelerate progress and support women in leadership positions 
III. Outlook Progress is possible, and closing the women’s health gap is achievable. Now is the time for action that will improve the lives of women and girls around the world and enable stronger economies. Public-, private- and social-sector stakeholders can drive change in a world in which the women’s health gap is impeding productivity and holding women back from leading full and healthy lives. Check out the report by World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Company here: https://lnkd.in/dd63KQRm #innovation #healthcare #womenshealth #healthtech #science #randd #pharma

What a week, what a year, and only 4 months in! From NYSE Women's Health Summit to our Women's Health PAC announcement, a lot is happening in #womenshealth! I've been so honored to be part of so many exciting events this year that are all about empowered women empowering women and the many men and women who are amplifying these efforts! 2024 is indeed the year of women's health! What started as a *moment* where women's health was finally acknowledged as needing dire attention, funding, regulatory reforms, and systemic change and a huge opportunity for outsized ROI for investors and the economy is now becoming a *movement* for change. (Thank you Women's Health Access Matters, McKinsey & Company and others for providing critical data!) Together, we can build this movement and transform it into a *mandate* for change. Join me, Jodi Neuhauser Candace McDonald and many other high-powered, determined leaders in making the first-ever, bipartisan Women's Health PAC a huge success! Our goal is to unite our collective financial and bipartisan political power to advance women's health. We will plan events; raise awareness; educate, engage and endorse politicians and candidates for office; and ensure women's health is understood and prioritized -- putting an end to gaslighting, ignorance, inaccessible care, and medical decision-making based on inaccurate/biased data. We need more leaders and #advocates to make this vision a reality, so please join us! ***Our launch event is on Tuesday, May 21 at 6pm in Washington, DC.*** If you want to come to this event and/or engage in this effort to ensure women's health is a priority in political campaigns and on the national agenda, please sign up here: https://lnkd.in/ep5PgH5Y and start following us Women's Health PAC! #maternalhealth | #heartdisease | #Alzheimers | #mentalhealth | #osteoporosis | #autoimmune conditions | #cancer #breastcancer #ovariancancer #cervicalcancer #HPV | #menopause | #ovarianhealth and many more conditions that solely, disproportionately and/or differently impact the health of women can all be addressed with our united voice! #WomensHealthMonth

Women's Health Week!!! Physical, mental, and emotional. Still encountering many disparities in health. First, we must be aware. Then only can we start to implement positive change. Kudos to all the disruptors in #lifesciences #womenshealth #disparities #changemakers #data #solutions

👶 In a break from our regular M&A content, huge congrats to Barton Health for it's recognition by Baby-Friendly USA as 1 of only 545 Baby-Friendly hospitals in the US! Accolades like this make me proud to be a Barton board member, as well as to be married to one of the driving forces behind Barton Women's Health, Mandi Weavil. Historically, women's health has been undervalued in the US, with women understudied and underrepresented in health research despite making up more than half the population: 👉 Funding disparities: Conditions that predominantly affect men often receive disproportionately high funding. 👉 Research gaps: There are significant gaps in research on women's health, including areas such as menopause-related conditions, endometriosis, autoimmune conditions, and cardiovascular disease. 👉 Narrow focus: Historically, women's health research has often been narrowly focused on fertility, overlooking a broader spectrum of health conditions that disproportionately affect women. 💡 We need a pivotal shift in prioritizing women's health, aiming to close research gaps and improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and conditions that affect women uniquely, disproportionately, and differently. Press release: https://lnkd.in/giVTj3gm

Did You Know? 📢 For many years, #women have been underrepresented in medical trials, leading to treatments that are not always tailored to their needs. Only 4.5% of medical research budgets are allocated to studying women's health. Creating significant gaps in diagnosis and treatment exist. 💔 1 in 3 women will suffer from #heartdisease, yet women are seven times more likely to be misdiagnosed during a heart attack compared to men. Women have different symptoms! 🧠 Women are twice as likely to develop #Alzheimer's disease compared to men. ⚕️ The prevalence of #autoimmunediseases is higher in women, and diagnosis can take between 4 to 10 years! 🌸 #Menopause is characterized by tens of different symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve women's lives. As part of impact.51's initiative to raise awareness about #womenhealth, we have created a Women’s Health #EscapeRoom together with Quala Group which is currently showcased at the Ministry of Health. We aim to raise #awareness among women, medical teams, and policymakers. Our goal is to place women at the center of healthcare and integrate a gender perspective into medicine. The feedback we have received highlights the knowledge gap and the importance of women taking responsibility for their #health. It is equally important for medical teams, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to understand and tailor responses to the unique physiological needs of women. Women make up #51% of the population. Women are not "small men." A  gender lens is required to adapt treatments and research to meet the unique needs of each woman. Women's health is not a niche – it is crucial and significant for everyone. Be part of the movement! Join us in #impacting women’s health! Try our escape room to learn more about the importance of women's health! Contact us if you want to bring the escape room to your organization and help raise #awareness in women’s health in an experiential way. Michal Lebenthal Andreson, LlB Aravah Kedar Tirosh Nicky Newfield Impact Nation Gila Tolub Shelly Bloch Sivan Sadan Inbal Zafir-Lavie Keren Leshem Miri Polachek Boaz Hermon Gal Yodfat #WomensHealth #Impact.51 #EscapeRoom #womenshealthmatters #GenderLens

📃 Last week, Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham OM KBE PC FRS Independent Report on the state of the National Health Service in England was published. 🙋🏽♀️ We won't try to add to the many, many summaries on LinkedIn, but at Aneira Health we wanted to make sure our community could easily access the specific #WomensHealth-related content. 🚨 The report has some powerful recommendations that align perfectly with what we’re building at Aneira Health. Here’s how we’re putting this vision into action: 1️⃣ Community-Based Health Services: The report highlights the need to move healthcare away from hospitals and into the community. At Aneira, we’re focused on doing just that by designing essential services—right where women need them most. 2️⃣ Tech-Driven Solutions: Darzi talks about the potential for AI and digital tools to revolutionise care. We’re well ahead of the game. Our personalised tools will help women to track their health, access advice, and stay connected to their care teams—without always needing in-person visits. 3️⃣ Preventative Health Focus: We’re on a mission to reduce the strain on hospitals by offering holistic, life course, preventative care that keeps women healthy, informed, and out of the hospital unless absolutely necessary. Whether it’s a mental health check-in or menopause education—we will have women covered. Let’s make healthcare smarter, more accessible, and focused on what women truly need. This is just the beginning! #WomensHealth #DarziReport #CommunityHealth #AneiraHealth #HealthInnovation #MentalHealth #MenopauseSupport #PostnatalCare #TechInHealth

The menopause market is emerging as a powerhouse within women’s healthcare, poised for transformative growth in 2025. With over 1 billion women expected to experience menopause by 2025, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions addressing their health, well-being, and quality of life. From personalized therapies to menopause-friendly workplace policies, the opportunities are vast. As stigma fades and awareness grows, how can we as entrepreneurs, investors, and advocates lead this change? Fabulous insights and article by Geri Stengel! You can read the Forbes article here: #WomensHealth #MenopauseMarket #Innovation https://lnkd.in/gBc2nAKz

🌸 It's National Women's Health Week, a special time dedicated to #EmpoweringWomen to prioritize their well-being. This annual celebration focuses on the theme "Women's Health, Whole Health: Prevention, Care, and Wellbeing." According to PointClickCare patient data: 1️⃣ Between 2017 and 2022, a staggering 3,081,962 PointClickCare residents in Long Term Care facilities were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (ICD10 codes E11). Interestingly, of these diagnosed residents, 1,641,151 were female. This indicates a significantly higher proportion of female-diagnosed patients compared to males.     2️⃣ The population of PointClickCare residents diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis shows a higher prevalence among females. Specifically, there is a 2.4:1 ratio of females to males in PointClickCare LTC facilities.     3️⃣ Recent studies have indicated a higher chance for women to develop Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Women may be more prone to CKD due to factors such as increased susceptibility to urinary tract infections (UTIs) and complications during previous pregnancies, including high blood pressure or eclampsia. In the PointClickCare population, there is a significant increase in female residents diagnosed with CKD, with 1,077,018 female residents compared to 935,352 male residents throughout PointClickCare facilities. These findings align with peer-reviewed literature.    Let's use National Women's Health Week as an opportunity to raise awareness about these health disparities and promote proactive measures for better health. Together, we can empower women to prioritize their well-being. 💙💃     #NationalWomensHealthWeek #WomenHealthMatters #Wellbeing #HealthDisparities #Data #RWE #DeeperData #BetterOutcomes #PointClickCareLifeSciences   Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Company, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, Bayer | Pharmaceuticals, Abbott, Smith+Nephew, Pfizer, Novartis, Roche