Alessandra Henderson’s Post

Menopause Startup Raises $3.3M in Funding Led By UPMC – MedCity News - MedCity News #MenopauseStartupFunding A menopause startup has recently secured $3.3 million in funding, with UPMC leading the investment. This funding will allow the startup to further develop and expand its services for menopausal women. #UPMCInvestment #InnovativeApproach The startup offers a unique and innovative approach to addressing the needs of menopausal women through technology and healthcare solutions. #HealthTechSolutions #ImprovingPatientCare By focusing on menopause, the startup aims to improve patient care and support for women going through this life stage. #PatientSupport #PartnershipWithUPMC The partnership with UPMC will provide the startup with valuable resources and expertise to enhance its offerings and ai.mediformatica.com #health #menopause #upmc #elektrahealth #funding #medcity #news #clinical #this #newyork #patients #york #digitalhealth #healthit #healthtech #healthcaretechnology @MediFormatica (https://buff.ly/3T57HXA)

#menopause is certainly making the rounds in public discourse more than it has ever before. One in four Americans is a woman over 40. That's right- 25%. What's more, is that 53-68% of all informal caregivers are women. according to Family Caregiver Alliance / National Center on Caregiving. How many of you (or your loved ones) have gone to the doctor wondering if you've entered this phase of your life but got no answers, and worse, no relief? The Lancet is a trusted medical source and it is disappointing, to say the very least, that this publication would do this topic such a disservice. Not only the topic itself but the thousands of #women who provide #care for others. Why make taking care of themselves harder? Please read the rebuttal article posted below, written and signed by 250 clinicians. Patients and #healthcare staff alike must be educated not only in symptoms and treatment options but also how to connect the dots of someone who presents with any number of them to identify menopause in the first place. Special thanks to Mary-Elizabeth Harmon, PhD for bringing this piece to our attention. #pharma #womenshealth #health #wellness #womenshealthmatters #womenshealthcare #caregivers #caregiving #caregiversupport #aging

Elektra Health recently announced a significant boost to its mission with an additional $3.3 million in seed funding. This round was led by UPMC Enterprises and supported by notable names such as Wavemaker 360, Flare Capital Partners, and Seven Seven Six Fund, bringing Elektra Health's total raised capital to $7.6 million. This financial injection is set to enable the expansion of patient care, a pressing necessity given that a mere 20% of OB/GYN residency programs in the U.S. offer menopause training, despite it being a universal phase in every woman's life.The urgency for specialized menopause care is underscored by the multitude of symptoms women face, such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, brain fog, and mood swings, along with the economic impact highlighted by the Mayo Clinic's finding of $1.8 billion lost annually in work time due to menopause. However, tides are turning as more employers are recognizing the need to support female employees through menopause. Elektra Health stands among a growing contingent of virtual providers, like Evernow, Gennev, and Midi Health, all dedicated to aiding women in this under-addressed life stage. The progressive approach by Elektra Health lies in treating women's health as multifaceted rather than a one-size-fits-all category. Elektra Health's Co-Founder Jannine Versi stated, "We can't sort of lump together the healthcare services and needs of 50% of the population and call it a day." This latest infusion of funds doesn't merely represent monetary growth; it symbolizes a shift in how investors and stakeholders view women's health as a holistic and lifetime continuum. For visionary change-makers and female entrepreneurs, Elektra Health's advancement sends a clear message of empowerment and the burgeoning potential within the women's health sector. It's a resonant reminder that with the right support, even the most overlooked aspects of healthcare can be reformed to truly cater to the needs of all women. For further insights, visit FemTech Insider.

Women’s health entrepreneurs & advocates - if you haven’t signed yet, now is your chance! Deadline tomorrow! The Menopause Research and Equity Act 2023 was introduced to Congress to support much-needed reform in women’s health policy, from funding to reimbursement and more. By banding together, women's health companies can create meaningful progress on issues like raising growth capital, gathering and sharing data, navigating regulations and reimbursement, and upholding patient privacy. Did you know that women of reproductive health were banned from clinical trials until 1993? Women’s hormones and health have lacked adequate funding and research from the beginning, but we have the opportunity to change that. This bill represents a changing tide in how we address women’s health issues, especially menopause, which has been underfunded and under-researched for far too long. Thanks to Let's Talk Menopause and other incredible advocates in menopause, including Tamsen Fadal, Sharon Malone, Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, MD, and so many others for bringing this to life. Please join in sharing our perspective with policymakers. We are asking fellow women's health entrepreneurs, CEOs, and experts to add your name and affiliation to this important letter to support funding, research, reimbursement and overall policy overhaul for women’s health. It takes less than 1 minute to sign here: https://lnkd.in/efVJ_72h

While it’s encouraging to see increased attention being given to women’s health and FemTech, there are several critical challenges and considerations that need to be addressed within this burgeoning market. Firstly, the disparity in R&D funding and investment allocation for FemTech is concerning, especially considering the significant potential of the market. With only 4% of R&D funding directed towards FemTech, there’s a clear need for greater investment to drive innovation and address unmet needs in women’s healthcare. Additionally, the lack of awareness and education surrounding menopause and women’s health issues remains a significant barrier. Limited instruction on menopause in medical training programs and misconceptions surrounding treatments like Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT) contribute to gaps in understanding and care delivery. While influencers and celebrities sharing their menopause experiences on social media can help destigmatize the topic, there’s a risk of oversimplification and misinformation. It’s essential to ensure that information shared on social platforms is accurate, evidence-based, and complements professional medical advice. Furthermore, while customer acquisition may be challenging in the women’s health sector, ensuring the quality and efficacy of products and services is crucial for building trust and long-term customer relationships. Innovators must prioritize rigorous research, clinical validation, and regulatory compliance to maintain credibility and ensure positive health outcomes for users. In conclusion, while there’s growing momentum in the conversation around women’s health and menopause, addressing funding gaps, improving education and awareness, and maintaining standards of quality and transparency are critical for driving meaningful progress and innovation in this space.

A group of medical experts writing in a new series of articles for The Lancet journal have called for a reappraisal of how societies view menopause and the treatments prescribed for it. The experts argue that menopause should not be treated as a health problem to be solved by hormone replacement, saying that this approach deflects attention away from “the need for substantial societal shifts” in how menopause is viewed and treated around the world. In the editorial that accompanies the series, The Lancet says that commercial companies and individuals have “over-medicalised” menopause by casting it as “a disease of oestrogen deficiency”. The series also highlights how some groups of women, like those who experience early menopause or have it induced by cancer treatment, are often given suboptimal care. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth

Thanks to the NPA - National Pharmacy Association for sharing the invite with me to attend today’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health Informed Choice Roundtable on Menopause. I have lots to say on this topic! It was good to hear from Cherilyn Mackrory MP and co-chair of the APPG as she set the scene for the discussions. In 2017 the APPG launched an inquiry & report that found women were not treated with dignity, not provided with sufficient information about their treatment options, and were not told about treatment side-effects appropriately when counselled about their gynaecological health. Jane Plumb - RCOG Women’s Voices lead shared the challenges of the need for awareness & education, helping women to navigate information overload and workplace support. Her solution included the need for a public health campaign around menopause. Eri Arakawa then shared her lived experience of menopause and her blog can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eT8s-fXJ She had me close to tears. Her story is sadly not unfamiliar to me as I hear similar struggles from many of my patients. We were then treated to the inspiring Nighat Arif (no apologies for being a fan-girl!) who shared that there is no word for menopause in so many languages and that we must do more to raise awareness in our marginalised communities in particular. Her top tips, ‘fish where the fish are’ to reach out to the communities who need the support. Use the power of social media to empower women and don’t forget to empower the men too! I shared my thoughts on the untapped potential of the community Pharmacy network. - With close to 60% of our workforce being female we are an empathetic workforce. - We see women at so many touch points in their lives - more than most other Health care professionals I’m sure. - We are a trusted and accessible resource close to where people live or work. - We can spot patients who maybe don’t realise some of their symptoms are menopause related - we can support women to make informed choices when maybe their HRT is in short supply. - we are the gatekeeper between the clinical decision of a medication treatment and the patient actually taking it. This time is the most crucial as most women have questions and concerns about HRT and this is why my call to action today was to push for HRT to be added to the list of medicines for which we provide the New Medicine Service. - I was also able to share the work I’m involved in as part of the Independent Prescribing pathfinder programme whereby I will be running HRT reviews for patients in my pharmacy in collaboration with my local GP surgery. I was honoured to meet so many new colleagues who are experts in their fields and was inspired by all their contributions on how we can all do more to raise awareness and improve the health of women. Radhika Vohra Kate Muir Tina Backhouse Amit Patel

DATA: MENOPAUSE & MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) This is an area of interest for me as I have a number of women in the Vibrant Midlife Community who are living with MS and I am always seeking out solutions to support them This review summarizes current research on the effects of menopause in women with MS, including the psychological impact and symptoms of menopause on disease worsening, and the treatment options. It highlights the need for more inclusion of MS patients from underrepresented racial and geographic groups in clinical trials, including among menopausal women Take a read, let me know your thoughts & kindly share with others who need to be aware of this data #menopause #menopausesupport #multiplesclerosis #midlife #vibrantmidlife

This is so so true, and one of the issues that last years roundtable at Parliament House #menopausematters raised, around the lack of access to appropriate appointments (and also I suspect one of the reasons WellFemme Women's Health Services has a 6 week wait list, given ALL their initial appointments are long appointments to ensure a comprehensive consultation). That "too many are missing out on this “complex” care due to a lack of suitably-subsidised GP appointments, said The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) president Dr Nicole Higgins MBBS FRACGP GAICD in a statement. “One of the barriers to quality menopause care is patients having enough time to spend with their GP – current Medicare subsidies don’t adequately support people who need longer appointments,” she said." Appropriate assessment, diagnosis and management of menopause, as well as risk assessment for chronic disease, cannot be achieved in a 10-minute consultation. Longer consultations are required for effective menopause discussions and need to be adequately remunerated to encourage GPs to undertake a comprehensive consultation. This view is consistent with the discussions at the 25 November 2022 meeting of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce, where finding sustainable models of funding to ensure equitable access to primary care in the context of the growing prevalence of chronic illness and an ageing population was discussed. The existing MBS Health Assessment for a person aged 45–49 years with a chronic disease risk does not include menopause as an eligibility criterion!! And even if it did, an estimated 60% of women go through the menopausal transition before the age of 45 or after 49, so limiting chronic disease risk assessment to this age group will mean that most women will slip through the diagnostic gap.... There is urgent need to reform the Medicare benefits schedule (MBS) to encourage and incentivise comprehensive assessment and management of women’s health including menopause and this could be achieved through the creation of a specific MBS Item number for women’s health and mid-life health that women can access (potentially at any time throughout their life span - adolescent, contraception, fertility, perimenopause, menopause). There is still time to get your submission in to the Senate Inquiry into Perimenopause and Menopause - closing date March 15th 😄 https://lnkd.in/g6-piz5G  #auspol #budget2024 #funding #genderbias #perimenopause #perimenopausehealth #menopauseawareness #menopause #mht #healthequity #medicalmisogyny

Final reminder: Women’s Health Hubs on International Women’s Day Improving women’s health is a big focus for ICBs. Menopause is often a high priority for and menopause is one of the most popular group clinic applications. Furthermore, recent Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance states that If menopause symptoms have a long-term and substantial impact on a woman’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, these symptoms could be considered a disability.   Our next Lunch and Learn webinar is scheduled on International Women’s Day and shares how Women’s Health Hubs aim to improve quality and access and address one of their major priorities – menopause. We also hear how menopause group clinics in primary care support this work.     Lunch and learn webinar: FRIDAY 08 MARCH 12.30 – 13.30  Women’s health hubs: improving quality and access through group clinics   Join us on International Women’s Day Friday 08 March to explore how women’s health hubs are working to improve access and quality and how menopause group clinics delivered in primary care support this aspiration   Understand the Women’s Health Hub agenda and the priority pathways that Women’s Health Hubs are working to improve. Hear from Dr Elly Lesser how she led the introduction of menopause group clinics as part of her New to Practice Fellowship, and how group clinics have impacted on quality and access.    BOOK WEBINAR PLACES FOR FRIDAY 08 MARCH 12.30-13.30 HERE:  https://lnkd.in/gxZcTiYx   Maximising QOF through group clinics: watch the webinar recording https://lnkd.in/gnKDqggs