At a time when women’s health care still is misunderstood — and funding for it is being questioned if not withheld — the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey worked to put it into the spotlight.
HINJ, with support from Rowan University, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, Rutgers Camden School of Nursing, Bayer and Middlesex County last week hosted a forum titled: “HERHealth: Advancing Women’s Care from Motherhood to Menopause.”
The half-day seminar highlighted the commitment of the state’s extensive life sciences community to women’s health and the development of new medical advances and treatments for women.
HINJ, the leading voice of our state’s vibrant life sciences community, said it organized the event to explore how the life sciences and other stakeholders can continue removing barriers to care while addressing unmet health and medical needs related to women’s health.
Sarah Adelman, the state’s commissioner of Human Services, said the need to work together is a top priority.
“Good public policy relies on stories, data, and information that reflects all affected individuals, but historically we have made decisions based on the lives and studies of men alone,” she said. “When half of the population is underrepresented, no one has a full picture of how to keep our families and communities healthy.
“It takes a concerted effort in the public, private, and nonprofit spaces to thoughtfully change how we strengthen access to quality care for all. Together, we can ensure that prioritizing women’s health — through policy, research funding and increasing awareness — is not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do.”
Adelman was one of many featured speakers. She was joined by Carol Murphy, the Assembly Health Committee Chairwoman, and Lisa Asare, the CEO of the NJ Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority.
The event also included three panel discussions featuring patient advocates, life sciences representatives, providers, academia and others to explore a variety of topics pertaining to women’s health.
“I am proud of New Jersey’s leadership on women’s health — both from a public policy perspective and from our innovation economy and private-company activities — as we work to address the unmet medical needs confronting women in our state, our country and around the world,” Murphy said. “As today’s forum demonstrated, it takes collaborations among multiple stakeholders — legislators, academia, private industry, and most importantly, the patient community — to continue advancing women’s health.
“I’m grateful to have such strong allies in this work and gratified that New Jersey continues to serve as a global leader in this important area.”
Asare said keeping the conversation going is important.
“I am grateful for this forum and today’s conversation among so many dedicated stakeholders working to improve the critical care women need — especially as they enter motherhood,” she said. “New Jersey’s moms and babies benefit greatly from the partnerships, policies, and innovations highlighted today.
“The Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority remains steadfast in collaborating with community and industry leaders to ensure that New Jersey becomes the safest and most equitable state in the nation to give birth and raise a child.”
HINJ CEO Chrissy Buteas said members of her organization stand at the ready.
“The mission of New Jersey’s life sciences is to discover life-saving treatments and cures for patients around the world,” she said. “These pharmaceutical and medical technology companies have historically led the way in advancing women’s health, and we continue to raise awareness through community events like these about the critical importance of investing even more thought, science, and resources into this vital area.
“We are grateful to the state and community leaders, patient advocates, academic researchers, clinicians, and industry partners here today who work so diligently to keep driving progress in medical care for women worldwide. We’re especially proud of how their efforts contribute to New Jersey’s reputation as ‘The Medicine Chest of the World.’”
