Closing the gaps in women’s health
Priya Bathija
Founder & CEO
Nyoo Health
What does it actually mean to care for women in healthcare — not just during pregnancy, but across their entire lives?
In this episode of For the Better, Lauren sits down with Priya Bathija, founder and CEO of New Health, to explore why women's health has long been reduced to maternity care and reproductive health — and what healthcare leaders can do to change that.
Priya brings more than 20 years of experience as a healthcare attorney and policy expert, including nine years at the American Hospital Association leading work on payment policy, healthcare affordability, and maternal and child health. Her path to founding New Health was shaped by both professional insight and deeply personal loss — and that combination drives everything she does.
In this conversation, Priya and Lauren talk through the four pillars of Nyoo Health's work — Inspire, Assess, Navigate, and Collaborate — and what it looks like to help health systems think differently about the women in their communities. They dig into why change doesn't have to be big to matter, how hospitals can show up for women where they already are (yes, including TikTok), and what's still missing from the growing public conversation around menopause, heart health, and beyond.
If you work in healthcare, market to women, or are a woman navigating the system yourself, this one's for you.
Key Takeaways:
Women's health is bigger than maternity care. Most health systems focus almost exclusively on reproductive and maternity health — but women have complex, interconnected health needs across their entire lives. Conditions during pregnancy, for example, can predict heart disease risk decades later.
Small steps count. Healthcare leaders often wait for the budget and bandwidth to do something big. But meaningful change can start with provider education, community pamphlets, or a texting strategy. Waiting for the perfect initiative means nothing gets done.
Only 20% of OB-GYNs are trained in menopause — and internal medicine and primary care residents report getting virtually no training either. Perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause can span two-thirds of a woman's life. That's a significant gap in care.
Women drive healthcare decisions. Women make roughly 80% of household healthcare decisions — for themselves and everyone around them. A poor experience doesn't just lose one patient. It loses a family.
The conversation is growing, but it isn't reaching everyone. The public dialogue around menopause and women's health is encouraging — but it's largely reaching women who are already plugged in. Black and Hispanic women and younger women are still being left behind, including in heart health literacy.
Hospitals have a real opportunity on social media. Women are turning to Instagram and TikTok for health information. Trusted health systems have an opening to show up in those spaces and provide credible, accessible content — even if it feels uncomfortable.
This is a brand and business opportunity, not just a values play. Better women's health experiences drive retention, loyalty, and referrals. The ROI case is real — and it's one healthcare marketers can bring to leadership.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
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