Matter Health Conference Recaps

By Hannah Fier

The Matter Health team was fortunate enough to recently attend two major industry events – SHSMD Connections in Chicago and the Women’s Health Innovation Summit in Boston. Both events gathered healthcare leaders, innovators and strategists to discuss the latest in technology, marketing and other hot topics. For those who weren’t able to attend, here are some of our key takeaways from the conferences.

Women’s Health Steps into the Spotlight

The Women’s Health Innovation Summit was a bustling two-day affair highlighting what historically has been an underrepresented and underexplored area of healthcare. A lot of the focus was on technological innovations and medical devices to help solve longstanding problems in women’s health, but the larger theme that permeated all sessions was giving women the ability to take charge of their own care journey. From at-home hormone monitoring tests to breast cancer screenings fueled by tears, it’s clear that companies are recognizing the need for women to advocate for themselves and to be more informed about what’s going on with their bodies on an ongoing basis.

We met no shortage of fascinating early- and late-stage startups that presented new women’s health products across the spectrum from support to detection to treatment. A few that particularly stood out to us included:

  • Proov: Proov offers a suite of diagnostics to provide fertility insights throughout the entire menstrual cycle. When paired with the free Proov Insight app, Proov’s easy, at-home urine tests provide a science-backed fertility coach right in your hand.
  • Rosy: Rosy was created to be a safe place for women (and people with vulvas) to find connection and interventions for sexual health needs on their own terms, all within one trusted, research-backed platform. It’s a women’s digital health platform that offers personalized and holistic solutions for sexual wellness.
  • Candlelit Care: Candlelit Care is destigmatizing what access to mental health care looks like for Black and BIPOC individuals, who are 3-10x more likely to experience mortality during the perinatal period. It provides accessible, community-focused, on-demand coaching with a focus on supporting thriving mental health through conception, pregnancy and the postpartum experience.

Healthcare Communications at the Forefront of Evolving Industry

The SHSMD Annual Conference in Chicago united healthcare marketers and strategists from a wide range of organizations such as MIT Medical, Clarify Health, Gozio Health and Definitive Healthcare. Sessions at the conference explored various areas of communication such as elevating marketing to increase impact in rural hospitals, balancing publicity with HIPAA regulations and overcoming bias through focused and thoughtful communications.

The speaker sessions at SHSMD highlighted many of the executives and thought leaders that are transforming the way we think of and talk about healthcare. Some of the most interesting presentations included:

  • Building a Thought Leadership Program: Preparing Your Leaders for the Big Stage – Sharon Delaney McCloud, Director of Corporate Communications at UNC Health and Jamie Williams, Director of Executive Communications at UNC Health, spoke about the importance of training organizational leaders to speak with confidence and impact.
  • Data-Driven DEI: Make DEI Part of Your DNA – Dr. Randal Pinkett, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, shared insights from his newest publication, “Data-Driven DEI: The Tools and Metrics You Need to Measure, Analyze and Improve Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.”
  • AI/ChatGPT: Latest Trends – Brent Lamm, CIO of UNC Health System, Alan Shoebridge, Associate Vice President of National Communications Providence, and Patrick Higley, Vice President of AVIA’s Center for Operational Transformation, discussed the latest trends in ChatGPT and other AI tools and how they can enhance and streamline administrative functions, communications marketing, analytics, and other strategic work.

As always, we valued the chance to connect with our healthcare peers in-person and were energized by all the innovations we were able to check out firsthand. If you’re interested in connecting with the Matter Health team at an upcoming conference or in learning more about how we help elevate some of today’s biggest Healthcare innovators, shoot me an email @hfier@matternow.com or reach out below!