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today on Newsday.

Amy Oliver: (Intro) I think this is a great opportunity for other organizations to be able to really, you know, put their money where their mouth is, to be able to drive the change and support that we need from a maternal health standpoint.

I'm Sarah Richardson, a former CIO and president of this Week Health's 2 2 9 community development where we are dedicated to transforming healthcare one connection at a time.

Newsday discusses the breaking news in healthcare with [00:01:00] industry experts. Now let's jump right in.

Sarah Richardson: (Main) Welcome to Newsday, where I am joined by Amy Oliver, who is VP of Marketing at Panda Health. Amy brings extensive experience in healthcare marketing and has a passion for improving healthcare access, particularly in areas related to women's health and social determinants of health.

At Panda Health, she helps transform how health systems connect with and adopt leading digital health technologies, providing intelligence on comprehensive solutions for hospitals and health systems. Amy, welcome to the show.

Amy Oliver: Thanks so much for having me.

Sarah Richardson: Great to be here, Sarah. This is our first news day together.

It is our first news day together. Very exciting times for all the time we spend. We don't usually talk about the news per se, but we do talk about the things that are really important to us. And so I'm glad we were able to source articles that are important to you and to me, and share that with our audience.

Amy Oliver: Yes, I think these articles are very timely and just love being able to have the chance to talk about our passions in a setting like this. Agree. And the first article we

Sarah Richardson: found was that World Health Day 2025 Spotlights Maternal and Newborn Health, [00:02:00] and they announced that Healthy Beginnings Hopeful Futures is the theme for World Health Day, and it really focuses on improving maternal and newborn health and also comes into critical time.

Amy, as you well know, that when maternal mortality rates have stalled or worsened in many regions with a vast. Majority of deaths occurring in the poorest countries and those facing conflicts. And according to Dr. Anshu Banerjee, the World Health Organization, director of Maternal Health, the campaign aims to help countries regain lost progress while showcasing new research and evidence that will enhance the health of women and babies globally.

Tell me more about this.

Amy Oliver: Yeah. I think that this is so powerful because as we. know, just purely from the states, maternal health is so important and that's just purely on our level, the global level, especially with conflicts that we can't even begin to imagine. Obviously impact healthcare in so many ways, but you know, females are 50% of the population and I think that just [00:03:00] having the spotlight and awareness on what other nations across the world are facing is just important to keep in mind as we try to do our part, to really improve the health across the entire world.

Sarah Richardson: When you think about the global focus on maternal health, the international focus can create momentum for organizations to prioritize this over other initiatives, and then it can increase funding, which is really a tough space because. It's not always easy to fund programs like this. It recreates that renewed attention to inequity.

You and I talk often personally about access and equity, the ability for people to get care when and where they need it. It also shows a disproportionate impact of maternal mortality on vulnerable populations.

Amy Oliver: Yeah, and I think, you know, as rollbacks to humanitarian assistance. Potentially jeopardize this lifeline for millions across the world.

It's an opportunity, as you talked about the funding standpoint to really be able to have other organizations step up. There is. An organization called the Prism [00:04:00] Initiative, where they're actually leveraging philanthropic advising to address the root causes of global challenges that women face, like maternal health.

So I think that while we are seeing some potential funding withdrawal, I think this is a great opportunity for other organizations to be able to really, you know, put their money where their mouth is, to be able to drive the change and support that we need from a maternal health standpoint.

Sarah Richardson: I also appreciate how the conversation.

Lends itself to the opportunities to address some of the SDOH that's out there with maternal health outcomes. And not everybody has access to digital platforms and yet resoundingly there is more and more access to digital platforms and when we continuously see that people may not even have secure housing in some cases, but they have a smartphone so that they can connect with their families as an example.

And when you can take resources that are available and. Use them to connect pregnant patients to either food security resources, transportation, looking for [00:05:00] housing stability, even employment and childcare resource networks. The technology enabled capabilities really build community support around things that sometimes are hard for people to solve otherwise.

Amy Oliver: Yeah, and I think that. What might work well here is not always apples to apples from a global standpoint, but I think just being able to take the lessons that we are learning and just collaborate at that global scale. Obviously this is much, much bigger than both of us, but I think just being able to say, okay, how are we deploying food from an SDOH standpoint out to underserved communities for example, food Smart, you know, how are we doing that?

And then how can we. Tweak that to be applicable across the world, knowing that there are a lot of considerations that we need to take into account. But just really being able to meet those patients where they are, because all of those social determinants just really impact the outcomes of, you know, not only the mother but the baby as well.

And I'm always hopeful that

Sarah Richardson: when you consider technology adoption, that it's not only gonna [00:06:00] address maternal care and give it increased attention, but that we will thoughtfully collect the data. And there's an emphasis on that because the better data we have around maternal and infant health, it becomes

basically a priority for measuring progress. And in some countries, birth rates are on the decline. United States being one of them. And so if that is one of your most treasured resources is just humans in your universe that are healthy and can continue to grow and thrive, then that becomes a space where you can lean in a little more thoughtfully than maybe you had in the past.

Amy Oliver: you know, it's. The stuff that tugs on the heartstrings, you know, I mean, I both of us are child free women, I think, but we all love. People and humanity and you know, the thought of just families growing and everyone contributing to this society that we are all grateful to be a part of.

So I think that, yeah, just the opportunity to really lean in is special. Well, there's also that added lens

Sarah Richardson: without us being too personal that when you child this by choice versus the inability to either have the infrastructure, the places to support that, it also [00:07:00] makes you aware of how fortunate you may be and why you are so in tune to the things that are affecting other people because.

Let's be honest. We work in healthcare for a reason. We want people to live a longer, healthier, happier life and have access to the things that allow them to do that. And that's sort of like a doubling of my responsibility towards others.

Amy Oliver: Absolutely. I mean, Even just today we have a, ballot on this school, local election and, you know, don't have kids, but I'm voting for it because I know that is just what is good for humanity and all the kiddos around here.

So yes, I think it's a special perspective that we can bring to it and just the responsibility that we, you know, voluntarily take.

Sarah Richardson: Which is why the next article we sourced is so important. It's addressing social determinants for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries. So states are increasingly developing holistic approaches to address both health and social needs of pregnant and postpartum people on Medicaid.

The US has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations with a stark disparity affecting black American Indian, Alaskan Native, and non-Hispanic Native [00:08:00] Hawaiian and Pacific Islander people who were two to four times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than non-Hispanic white people.

Amy Oliver: I just got chills. I feel like whenever I hear these stats, I just get so. All the emotions, sad, frustrated, mad. You know, 80% of the maternal deaths in the United States are preventable. And if that doesn't make us all just question why we are in this situation, I don't know what will. I think that, For being who we are, the United States of America and having the highest maternal mortality rate among high income countries like us, just not a good feel good thing at all. And I think that, you know, we are in a position where we can actually be helping influence and driving change to help right size that number.

Sarah Richardson: And nearly all states have expanded access to Medicaid coverage. And that's for the postpartum period. It can help stabilize care. I like the consideration of digital equity because solutions have to account for technology access barriers among vulnerable populations, which lends [00:09:00] itself to care coordination technology can connect clinical care with social services.

It's very valuable service, and this goes back to the interoperability piece we all think about. How do health systems get access to the SDOH and clinical records combined This may be affected by funding streams because federal initiatives like enhancing maternal health initiative do provide resources for innovative approaches.

You've gotta balance the aspects of each of these populations. That becomes sometimes a tough conversation in where you're focusing the ability for people to have access to you first.

Amy Oliver: I think that enhancing maternal health initiative, I was doing a little bit more research on that, and that has actually expanded into the transforming maternal health model.

And that was actually just as of January of this year. So I think that's just a clear signal that we've gotten from CMS that innovation and equity have to go hand in hand. It's not just about the technology and what's the latest and greatest and the buzzwords and all that, but it's about using those digital [00:10:00] platforms to support that whole.

Person especially you know, during pregnancy and postpartum when those stakes are really highest. I feel like it's becoming more and more normalized to talk about the challenges that new moms face in that postpartum stage. And I just am so appreciative and, you know, empathetic to, I can't even imagine what they're going through.

So I think that just making sure that we're looking at that whole person and using the tech to enable it is just so important.

Sarah Richardson: And it's right in the wheelhouse of Panda. Consider best DOH screening tools you can integrate into the EHR closed loop referral systems that connect clinical and community-based organizations.

Predictive analytics to know who's at high risk, patient facing apps that empower self-identification of resources and the automated follow-ups to make sure that you've actually received the things that are you're eligible for and that you needed. And here's the thing I love about the proliferation of AI today.

The ability to truly even utilize some of those avatar based functionality because if you are already. [00:11:00] At a space in your life where you've just had a baby or you've had a high risk pregnancy, and now maybe you're facing postpartum depression, that can be shameful. I've had women share that with me and say, I'm so embarrassed that I'm like so sad, and I should be the happiest time of my life, and I'm embarrassed to ask for help and think that, oh my goodness, there's a way that I can do that in a way that still gives me a sum anonymity and still get access to the care that I need.

Amy Oliver: Yeah, I think that it will be very interesting to see the technology evolve. The startup that I was at just before this called Zel, they used rules based delivery based on different APIs to really meet the patient where they were. So from a patient education standpoint, it could be triggered manually or based on the patient coming in for their third trimester appointment, and there's a set of information that they get, you know, to just really prepare them.

And I think Continuing that patient education with the opportunity for the anonymous component, I think, you know, helps as we try to balance out. Mental health. Doesn't need to be a stigma, but yet we're still getting there.

So I [00:12:00] think it'll be interesting to see how technology can help not only with care, but also with the softer parts of the care that might not be always forefront or top of mind for providers or, you know, the technology creators or everything like that.

Sarah Richardson: And being able for people to understand their privacy is protected and they can trust the different collection of this information.

So trauma informed approaches to digital screening, consent models that give patients control over what they're sharing. I love the concept of cultural adaptation of screening tools for diverse populations because if you already feel marginalized, then it's suited to. You and meets you where you are, then you're gonna build trust through the transparency of how that information gets used and how you can share it.

And then above all else, you'll hear me talk about enterprise architecture, that technology design that protects against discrimination from collected data, removing the bias from the care that is being delivered.

Amy Oliver: Yeah, I think that bias is just critical when it comes to anything from a technology standpoint, especially [00:13:00] relating to maternal health.

You know, the stats that we just mentioned are just alarming and I think just a huge opportunity here to make sure that we're doing anything that we can to eliminate that bias. I also just think in general with what health systems as a whole, hopefully are coming to realize that it's not just about buying the technology, but it's about building the ecosystems to really support the technology.

So if it's aligning Medicaid reimbursements or integrating the SDOH data into the patient chart training the frontline staff to just. Know, right? What questions to ask, and then really involving those community partners. It's the whole operating model needs to shift in the right direction with everyone swimming together in order to really drive that change.

Sarah Richardson: Which brings us really to our last component of the news. Conversation, not a surprise to us, state scorecard on women's health reveals geographic disparities. So the Commonwealth Fund's 2024 State Scorecard on women's health and reproductive care shows dramatic [00:14:00] geographic disparities in women's health outcomes across the United States with Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island.

The top of the rankings based on 32 different measures of healthcare access, quality, and outcomes. While Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, and Oklahoma are the lowest performers and the deaths from all causes among women of reproductive age are the highest in southeastern states.

Amy Oliver: Just more alarming, shocking statistics that I think are important to not lose sight of.

You know, I think that the initiatives at the federal level will only help support these on the state level, but it's up to these states to really own what is going on and identify how to improve that. You know what? Might work in a southeastern state, might not resonate in a state like California or New York.

So it's important to understand what those needs are and how the technology can really support it. Obviously, there's regulatory concerns and variations. So I think that kind of plays into the state policies as well, and just making [00:15:00] sure that. You know, we're supporting each state in the way that is appropriate, both from the federal level, but then really on that state level to understand, you know, how can outcomes be improved.

Sarah Richardson: Great points. Amy is, I always put on in my situation, my CIO hat, what conversation am I having with my peers? What am I talking to the board about? Then I'm gonna make sure that if I'm in one of those underserved population areas, that my health system can tailor women's health strategies to address the regional disparity.

That, whatever, to your point, changes in state policies that create varying landscapes for digital health implementation are made aware of for our teams and that the National health Tech solutions adapting to different state environments and needs. Because in the end of all of this, the digital tools that can track improvement and scorecard metrics become valuable and they are available so that when patients are moving around or going to different systems across state care, they may be seeking.

Is not gonna create the challenges for continuity of care.

Amy Oliver: Especially from a [00:16:00] remote patient monitoring standpoint, I've had the opportunity to have a lot of just exposure to that type of technology and I think.

Meeting the patients where they are. That might look different neighborhood by neighborhood in a specific area. So if we need to either educate somebody in an underserved community on how they can use their blood pressure cuff because they're at a higher risk pregnancy, whereas there's another neighborhood a couple miles down the street.

I think we have to get really targeted from how we can not only do that multi-state approach and figure out what lessons have been learned across the borders of our states. But then also just really understanding how do we hyper target that to make sure that we are meeting all of those patients where they are.

And you know, that might mean that a patient is two blocks away from the hospital, but they might not even know what remote patient monitoring is or what a blood pressure cuff is. So I think just taking a step back and making sure that we're doing everything that we can to not only educate, but really encourage adoption to improve those outcomes.[00:17:00]

Sarah Richardson: Well, I'll take it back to a recent conversation I had with Tracy Elmer at TruCare, where this is still California, and being able to have mobile health units that are serving rural communities and even The asynchronous care options for women with challenging work schedules with ability to get to care.

They're bringing it to them in many cases, and I also love the fact that they don't ask. Certain characteristics of information that they will serve you regardless of your ability to pay. And so they've created safe spaces throughout Southern California where people can get the care that they need.

Amy Oliver: And that's just such a great example of thinking outside of the box and trying to come up with new ways to.

Find the patients where they are instead of just hoping that those patients come in. You know, a lot of these underserved communities just have the systemic inequities that, you know, generations before them just don't trust the healthcare like we've talked about. So being able to show up and not necessarily have that pool approach into the office, but just, you know, those [00:18:00] community organizations to really make a difference and treat them where they are.

Sarah Richardson: If you have that patient focus group or a leaning in ability with that population is to ask them questions. When you think about patient-centered design as an example, what approaches work best when designing digital health solutions for women with diverse needs, or I would say in a healthcare desert, or how do we make sure that there's equity in the innovations rather than reinforcing some of these existing disparities?

Amy Oliver: And I think that, you know, the research and the expansion and the awareness that we've seen over the last, I dunno, handful of years, is finally making a difference. We all know that for years and years, women's health in general has just been under researched, underfunded, but now we're finally starting to see

movement on pretty common conditions like endometriosis or menopause. I know personally I live in Cleveland and the Cleveland Clinic has an OBG Women's health clinic, and I think that, you know, as somebody [00:19:00] who has been there, you can just feel almost a tide shifting. And I'm always an optimistic person, so I'm just hopeful that this can continue and the exposure that women's health is finally getting you know, just continues to make a difference.

Sarah Richardson: Couldn't agree more. And I'm always grateful that you and I both work for companies in an industry where these are conversations we're having all the time and something that's not taboo, ways that we can help other people make it comfortable to be sharing these perspectives as well. And so thank you for taking the time to share what's happening globally and locally in terms of what we can bring forward for awareness with maternal and women's health, but also keep fighting the good fight.

Amy Oliver: Alright. Well thanks so much for having me, Sarah. It was great chatting and we'll chat with you soon always. And thanks for tuning into Newsday. That's all for now.

Thanks for listening to Newsday. A lot's happening in our industry. And while Newsday covers interesting stuff, another way to stay informed is by subscribing to our Daily Insights email, which delivers expertly curated health IT news straight to your inbox.