Women In Government Podcast

Our country is experiencing a maternal mental health crisis. Mental health conditions are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting 1 in 5 mothers every year.

May is Maternal Mental Health Month, an important time to think about the millions of women experiencing postpartum depression or PPD.

These feelings are more intense and last longer than the baby blues. Many cases go undiagnosed, but we can help change that by recognizing the symptoms and supporting each other along the way. If you or a new mom in your life has feelings of guilt or helplessness, it may be due to PPD.

Time matters! Acting now can help improve or even save a life. A variety of treatment options exist, and the first step is talking with a healthcare provider. Most people get better with early diagnosis and treatment, the best thing for a new mom and baby.

For more, visit WomenInGovernment.org.

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Women In Government Foundation, Inc., headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization of women state legislators that provides leadership opportunities, expert forums, and educational resources to address and resolve complex public policy issues to all women state legislators across the country.

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For more information, please visit womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, osuchluck.com

Women In Government Podcast

State as a Model Employer to Engage a More Diverse and Representative Workforce

According to the most recent U.S. Census data, there are more than 42-million Americans with disabilities. Across all age groups, these folks are more likely to be unemployed. That’s why state leaders, government agencies, and task forces are uniting to help advance inclusive policies and best practices that lead to increased employment opportunities for disabled people, and a stronger, more diverse American workforce and economy.

This episode highlights how states can send a clear message that employment of people with disabilities is a high priority by implementing a comprehensive set of policies, practices, and processes, known collectively as State as a Model Employer (SAME) policies, to increase representation of people with disabilities within their own public-sector workforce. When acting as model employers, the states also have an opportunity to serve as test cases for private employers, demonstrating the economic and organizational benefits of hiring people with disabilities.

Now is the time for leaders to take action.

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MODERATOR: Women In Government Board Director, Oklahoma Senator, Jessica Garvin

GUEST #1: Minnesota Representative, Liz Reyer

GUEST #2: Chief of Staff for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), United States Department of Labor, Anupa Geevarghese

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For more information, please visit www.womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, www.osuchluck.com

Women In Government Podcast

Mental Health Matters

We’ve learned a lot over the past few years, especially about our nation’s resiliency and ability to come together in times of crisis. However, we continue to uncover the hard truths about some people who regularly suffer and live with disadvantages based on their overall health and well-being.

One area of interest that’s certainly capturing our nation’s attention is mental health. As it has been reported, more than 50-million Americans live with a mental health condition, and over half of adults don’t receive treatment.

Untreated mental health conditions can negatively impact employee performance, rates of illness, absenteeism, accidents and turnover. People often quit their jobs, and some may entirely drop out of the workforce. This doesn’t just hurt our country on the human-level, but there are other consequences, like a smaller tax base, a reduced workforce and increased social expenditures for states and local communities.

For all these reasons, and many others, (SEED) the State Exchange on Employment & Disability launched the Mental Health Matters National Task Force to develop a series of frameworks to help state and local policymakers craft and adopt policies to promote the inclusion of people with mental health conditions in the workplace and bolster the behavioral health workforce.

What's more, the CDC finds over half of Americans are diagnosed with a mental health condition at some point in their lives, and one in five will experience a mental health condition in a given year. These are more than numbers and statistics. These are the faces of our neighbors, friends and family members.

This episode highlights how state and local lawmakers can work on policy and strategies that lead to the best and most promising practices that advance legislation which supports, promotes, and enriches the lives of those living with a mental health condition.

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MODERATOR: Women In Government Board Member, Colorado Representative, Dafna Michaelson Jenet

GUEST #1: Oklahoma Representative, Ajay Pittman

GUEST #2: Arkansas Representative, DeAnn Vaught

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For more information, please visit www.womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, www.osuchluck.com

How healthy is your heart? After a steady decline, cardiovascular disease is on the rise again in our country.

Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease, stroke, and heart attack, is the number one cause of death in the United States.

Heart disease alone, affects 30-million Americans, with a disproportionate impact on women, rural populations, and racial and ethnic minority groups.

However, many of these deaths are preventable with access to quality care.

Luckily, promising new approaches and treatments are changing the health landscape and current trajectory of cardiovascular disease.

As we know, prevention is powerful. Now is the time to visit your health care provider and learn your risk level. Make an appointment today.

For more, visit Women-In-Government.org.

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Women In Government Foundation, Inc., headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization of women state legislators that provides leadership opportunities, expert forums, and educational resources to address and resolve complex public policy issues to all women state legislators across the country.

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For more information, please visit womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, osuchluck.com

Women In Government Podcast

The Cost of Osteoporotic Fractures

Low bone mass and the deterioration of bone tissue are two ways to describe Osteoporosis. More the 53 million people either have this bone disease or are at high risk of bone fractures due to low bone mass. How does this affect us on the state-level, and what does this mean for our country’s overall health and wellness?

On this episode of the Women In Government Podcast, our panel discusses the action steps we can take today to address the differences in the clinical and economic impact of fractures suffered by Americans on Medicare.

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MODERATOR: Hawaii Representative, Lauren Matsumoto, WIG Board Vice Chair

GUEST #1: Illinois State Senator, Julie Morrison

GUEST #2: Claire Gill, CEO, Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation

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For more information, please visit www.womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, www.osuchluck.com

Are you stuck in a loop of negative thinking?

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an important time to think about the 16-million adults living with major depressive disorder in our country.

Many people still feel irritable, are easily frustrated, or have difficulty concentrating while being treated for depression. That’s why prescription digital therapeutics are being developed to transform how they manage their mental health.

They’re app-based technologies that use high-quality software to prevent, manage, or treat a medical condition. They’re tested in clinical studies and reviewed by the FDA before being made available to the public.

Using a prescription digital therapeutic can help you gain skills to better cope with negative events and train your brain to increase resilience.

For more information about prescription digital therapeutics

and to find out how to do a free depression screening online, visit Women-In-Government-dot-org.

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Women In Government Foundation, Inc., headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization of women state legislators that provides leadership opportunities, expert forums, and educational resources to address and resolve complex public policy issues to all women state legislators across the country.

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For more information, please visit www.womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, www.osuchluck.com

Women In Government Podcast

Disparities in Cancer Outcomes

Cancer is comprised of more than 100-diseases affecting all population groups in the United States. However, due to social, environmental, and economic disadvantages, a few groups bear a disproportionate burden of cancer.

Hispanic/Latino and Black women have higher rates of cervical cancer. American Indians/Alaska Natives have higher death rates from kidney cancer. Those numbers are surprising and hopefully eye-opening to many in the medical community.

On this episode of the Women In Government Podcast, our panel discusses the unique barriers that women and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) face in accessing screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

#AccessToHealthCare

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MODERATOR: Omeria Scott, Mississippi State Representative and Women In Government's Newest State Director

GUEST #1: Dr. Gary Puckrein, Ph.D., President National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF)

GUEST #2: Dr. Liza Kunz, M.D., Medical Affairs Leader, Roche

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For more information, please visit www.womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, www.osuchluck.com

Women In Government Podcast

Type 2 Inflammation: Health Disparities & Impact on Minority Populations

People living with type 2 inflammatory diseases often feel limited by unpredictable symptoms and isolated in their experiences. For example, the condition can contribute to the debilitating itch of atopic dermatitis or (AD), and sometimes life-threatening asthma attacks, or the loss of smell and taste associated with chronic rhinosinusitis or (CRS) with nasal polyps. Living with these chronic diseases and searching for control, people have looked for answers and found few.

On this episode of the Women In Government Podcast, our panel discusses the health disparities of this chronic condition, the disproportionate impact on minority populations, and the prevalence of this disease across the country.

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MODERATOR: Illinois State Senator, Mattie Hunter, Midwestern Regional Director, WIG Board of Directors

GUEST #1: Dr. Gary Puckrein, Ph.D., President, National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF)

GUEST #2: Kenny Mendez, CEO and President, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)

GUEST #3: Dr. Debra Sierka, PharmD., Head of Dermatology, US Medical Affairs, Sanofi Genzyme

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For more information, please visit www.womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, www.osuchluck.com

Women In Government Podcast

New Normal, Same Cancer

COVID-19 has also brought with it a challenge to those facing a cancer diagnosis. Within less than 2 months following the start of the pandemic, average weekly new cancer cases dropped by about 46% across six major types of cancers, including breast, colorectal, lung, pancreatic, gastric and esophageal cancer combined.

On this episode of the Women In Government Podcast, our panel discusses the ways we can work to identify cancer earlier through improving screening and testing capabilities, ensuring equitable care, while leveraging digital platforms and prioritizing personalized medicine.

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MODERATOR: Massachusetts State Representative Kim Ferguson

GUEST: Camille Hertzka, Vice President, Head of Medical, US Oncology at AstraZeneca

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For more information, please visit www.womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, www.osuchluck.com

Women In Government Podcast

Alzheimer’s Disease: The Importance of Early Detection & Diagnosis

Quality care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias starts with an early, documented and disclosed diagnosis. However, less than 50% of people with dementia are diagnosed and of those who are—less than 50% are told.

According to the World Health Organization, tens of millions of people worldwide live with Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to grow in the coming years, outpacing the healthcare resources needed to manage it and costing billions of dollars.

On this episode of the Women In Government Podcast, our panel discusses why it's important for states to consider policies that promote early detection and diagnosis - including public awareness programs and health care professional education and training that creates the infrastructure necessary to address the growing public health crisis.

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MODERATOR: Massachusetts Representative, Danielle Gregoire

GUEST #1: Catherine Freiman, Medical Director – Alzheimer’s, Biogen

GUEST #2: Jennifer Rosen, Director of State Affairs, Alzheimer’s Association

GUEST #3: Minnesota State Senator, Carla J. Nelson

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For more information, please visit www.womeningovernment.org

Audio courtesy of OSUCHLUCK Productions, www.osuchluck.com