MedCity FemFwd

Claire Love, Global Health Industries Advisory Leader at PwC, joins Marissa Plescia to unpack PwC's recent report on the fertility market. She explains why the growth story is far from over, where access still falls short in the US, and how AI, OBGYNs and GLP-1s could reshape the fertility journey. Key Takeaways The fertility market still has tremendous room to grow, driven by people having childr...

Midwives are often treated as a nice-to-have rather than a core part of obstetric care. In this episode, Dr. Amanda Shafton, National Director of Midwifery at OB Hospitalist Group, makes the case that physician-midwife collaboration produces better outcomes than either discipline alone, and that expanding the midwifery workforce is one of the clearest levers available against the country's materna...

Executive Summary Recorded live at the MedCity Bullseye event in Chicago, host Marissa Plescia sits down with Cheryl Larson, CEO of the Midwest Business Group on Health, to unpack how employers are approaching women's health benefits. Larson shares new survey data on what employers are offering today, from parental leave to menopause support, and lays out concrete steps HR and benefits leaders can...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Dr. Cathleen Brown, board-certified OBGYN and medical director at Winona, joins MedCity FemForward to discuss the newly launched Winona Research Institute, a company-funded initiative designed to support early-career researchers in women's health. She traces the persistent research gap that has left women's health understudied for decades and shares what Winona's internal patient...

Executive Summary In this episode of MedCity Fem Forward, host Marissa Plescia sits down with Janna Manjelievskaia, Director of Health Economics and Outcomes Research at Veradigm, to unpack the company's 2026 Women's Health Report. The conversation covers the flawed science behind the 2002 Women's Health Initiative press conference that drove HRT prescribing to near zero, how real-world EHR data s...

Episode Summary In this episode of Med City Fem Forward, host Marissa Plescia sits down with Meghan Doyle, CEO and co-founder of Partum Health, to explore how innovative care models are reshaping maternal health. Meghan shares how her personal experience as a mother revealed critical gaps in the healthcare system, inspiring her to build a company focused on comprehensive, patient-centered support...

Summary In this episode of the Med City Fem Forward Podcast, host Marissa Plescia speaks with Dr. Barbara Levy about the latest clinical guidance on endometriosis from American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The conversation highlights a major shift in how endometriosis is diagnosed—from invasive surgical confirmation to a clinical, symptom-based approach centered on listening to pati...

Episode Summary In this episode of Med City Fem Forward, host Marissa Plescia speaks with Allison Adamson, architect at Build Health International, about the creation of a Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone — a project designed to transform maternal healthcare delivery in one of the world's highest-risk regions for childbirth. Allison explains how healthcare infrastructure directly impa...

Summary  In this episode of MedCity FemForward, reporter Marissa Plescia talks with Anna Jeter of AOA Dx. about a pivotal report on the booming potential of women's health sectors. Discover why this already lucrative field isn't just a niche but a smart investment, with 27 unicorns and over $100 billion in exits. Whether you're an entrepreneur or investor, tune in to learn why women's health is no...

Summary  Join MedCity FemForward with Marissa Plescia and Dr. Blake Porter, Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Access Telecare. Discover how telemedicine revolutionizes access to maternal care in rural areas, improving outcomes and fostering local births. A must-listen for healthcare enthusiasts!.   Episode Highlights 00:00:11 - Introduction of Dr. Blake Porter. 00:00:17 - Expanding virtual mater...

In this episode, I interviewed Liz Powell, founder of Women's Health Advocates. We discussed the organization's policy priorities in the women's health space. Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com   https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/   Connect with Liz Powell lpowell@g2gconsulting.com    

In this episode, I interview Dr. Renee Wittemyer, vice president of program strategy at Pivotal Ventures, and Dr. Regina Dugan, CEO of Wellcome Leap. We discussed the organizations' recent $100 million commitment to women's health research.   Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com   https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/   Connect with Dr. Renee Wittemyer and...

In this episode, I interviewed Priyanka Jain, cofounder and CEO of Evvy. We discussed the state of women's health research, the Milken Institute's Women's Health Network and what's ahead for Evvy.   Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com   https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/

In this episode, I interviewed Abbie Clary, executive director of Health for All at CannonDesign. We discussed how healthcare spaces and products have traditionally not been designed with women in mind — and what needs to change.   Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com   https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/   Connect with Abbie Clary https://www.linkedin.co...

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Keith Berkle, chair of Privia Women's Health. We discussed the need for value-based care in women's health and the ways Privia is supporting OBGYNs.   Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com   https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/   Connect with Keith Berkle https://virginiawomenscenter.com/doctors/dr-keith-p-berkle/    

I interviewed Amani Bright, senior program manager of Springboard Enterprises, and Julia Lasater, management consulting analyst at Accenture, about Part 2 of their State of Women's Health report.   Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com   https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/   Connect with Amani Bright and Julia Lasater https://www.linkedin.com/in/amani-brig...

I interviewed Margaret Malone, principal at Flare Capital Partners. We discussed the latest investment trends in the women's health space.   Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com   https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/   Connect with Margaret Malone https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretgmalone/    

In this episode, I interviewed Maggie McCullough, CEO of PolicyMap. We discussed the ways the federal government can improve the collection of maternal health data. Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/ Connect with Maggie McCullough https://www.policymap.com/about/our-team#maggie-mccullough   

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Audrey Jiricko, Intermountain Health's senior medical director of women's health. We discussed the organization's screening initiative for intimate partner violence. Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/ Connect with Dr. Audrey Jiricko https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-jiricko-68569326...

In this episode, I interviewed Pam Pure, co-founder and CEO of Posterity Health, and Khaled Kteily, founder and CEO of Legacy. We talked about why infertility is a male issue as well as a female issue. Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/   

In this episode, I interviewed Emily Lindemer, an executive director at Morgan Health. We discussed a report she co-authored that examines maternal health in employer-sponsored insurance.   Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/ Connect with Emily Lindemer https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-lindemer   

I interviewed Kathryn Schubert, president and CEO of the Society for Women's Health Research, about the women's health trends that defined 2024 and what the healthcare industry can expect in 2025. Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/ Connect with Kathryn Schubert https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-godburn-schubert-0735...

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Piraye Yurttas Beim, founder and CEO of Celmatix, one of the recipients of ARPA-H's Sprint for Women's Health program.   Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/ Connect with Dr. Piraye Yurttas Beim https://www.celmatix.com/our-team https://www.linkedin.com/in/pirayebeim/   

I interviewed Dr. Tiffany Inglis, national medical director for women and children's health at Carelon Health, a subsidiary of Elevance Health. We discussed Elevance's new paper on doulas. Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/ Connect with Dr. Tiffany Inglis https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-davis-inglis-md-b2b01183/  

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, a practicing physician and founder of Beyond Clinical Walls. We discussed how the maternal health crisis goes beyond access, and ways the healthcare industry can improve maternal health disparities. Episode Resources Connect with Marissa Plescia mplescia@medcitynews.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaplescia/ Connect with Dr. Bayo Curry-W...