Health Shouldn’t Hurt: Bridging the Women’s Health Crisis | Meenakshy Aiyer | TEDxBradley University
Women’s health outcomes today reflect a troubling reality: maternal health outcomes are flagged as a national crisis; maternal health complications persist long after delivery; menopause is under-discussed despite its sweeping impact; and diseases like heart attacks and depression go undetected or misdiagnosed. These gaps are not merely clinical. They’re systemic.Women are the invisible majority in biomedical research. They’re present in numbers but absent in data. At the heart of the problem lies a research gap. For decades, biomedical studies have been leaving women underrepresented in trials and underserved in care. This oversight has led to misdiagnoses, ineffective treatments, and a healthcare system that often fails to meet women’s needs across their lifespan.Investing in women’s health isn’t just equitable. It’s transformative. It improves outcomes for all and strengthens public health. American poet William Ross Wallace coined the phrase “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” His words speak to the influence and impact that mothers have within their homes and on the health and wellbeing of their families. Women are the driving force in shaping future generations and sustaining strong families and communities. The invisible majority deserves visibility, and visionary care. Dr. Meenakshy Aiyer, MD, MACP, MHPE, serves as Regional Dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP). Under her leadership, UICOMP expanded Graduate Medical Education programs and strengthened collaboration to improve patient care across the region. The new Center for Health Research broadened the College’s mission by advancing research, outreach, and solutions to improve health equity and outcomes. UICOMP also launched a pathway program with Bradley University to mentor students with local ties who have an interest in medical school.
Dr. Aiyer led the Peoria Healthcare Collaborative Initiative to address healthcare disparities in central Illinois. A trusted community leader, she has received the Athena International Woman of the Year Award from the Peoria Chamber of Commerce and the Woman to Woman Health Care/Wellness Award from the Women’s Fund of Central Illinois. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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