What We Get Right—and Wrong—About Women’s Health

Across Ohio and the nation, women’s health is at a pivotal moment. From gaps in public understanding of perimenopause and menopause to inequities in maternal care, the need for clarity and access in women’s healthcare is great.
Ohio ranks just 29th in women’s health and reproductive care, with a maternal mortality rate of 28.4 per 100,000 live births—higher than the U.S. national average. Thirteen Ohio counties have no OB providers at all, with thirteen classified as maternity care deserts, limiting access to healthcare for thousands of women despite Ohio’s relatively high insurance coverage rate.

These challenges aren’t felt equally. Black women in Ohio face significantly higher maternal mortality rates and persistent systemic barriers to care, underscoring an urgent need to broaden health equity.

At the same time, generational shifts are reshaping the conversation around women’s health. Topics once treated as taboo—menopause, postpartum mental health, and LGBTQ+ inclusive care—are now being discussed more openly, exposing how outdated care models, gaps in research, and bias in treatment have fueled mistrust and left many women navigating critical life transitions without adequate support.

Yet change is happening. From growing awareness around menopause care and the critical “fourth trimester” to new approaches that emphasize continuity of care, inclusion, and patient voices, the women’s healthcare landscape is evolving.

Join us for a powerful conversation with healthcare leaders exploring these challenges, what they mean for women at every stage of life, and the solutions taking shape in Central Ohio to strengthen women’s healthcare.

Featuring Jatu Boikai, Founder & CEO, Central Ohio Postpartum Extended Respite Center; Dr. Kamilah Dixon, Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; Dr. Shilpa Padia, Co-Medical Director of Oncology, Mount Carmel Health System; Dr. Mona Prasad, System Chief, Maternal Fetal Medicine, OhioHealth Physicians Group, with moderator Tracy Townsend, News Anchor and Medical Correspondent, WBNS 10TV.

If you would like to dive more deeply into this topic, our friends at the Columbus Metropolitan Library suggest checking out The New Rules of Women’s Health: Your Guide to Thriving at Any Age, by Meghan Rabbitt, 2026.