INDUSTRY CASE STUDIES
See how we work with our industry partners
We have many out-of-the-box solutions to meet our industry partners’ needs as well as creating bespoke solutions to meet exactly what you need. Working with partners around the world, our services, outreach, and capabilities are building and promoting gender diversity in the medical workforce.
Medtronic: Working toward improving women’s health with a focus group
The Challenge
In early 2024, Medtronic made new strides in health equity when they completed their SMART Trial, which tested the efficacy of their transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) technology on small aortic annulus patients with symptomatic, severe native-aortic stenosis. As the condition disproportionately impacts women, it’s no wonder the trial enrolled an astonishing 87% women. This represented a huge opportunity to discuss Medtronic’s positive trial findings and to design trials aimed at improving women’s health. In advance of presenting their findings at ACC 2024, they were hoping to gain the insights of women cardiologists on how to position these messages among provider and patient communities and discuss future opportunities to engage more women in research. Medtronic didn’t want this step towards greater health equity to go unnoticed – and neither did we.
The Women As One Solution
Medtronic didn’t need just any women physicians – they needed cardiologists with career experience, training, and access to patient perspectives that would make their insights indispensable. From our list of over 2,500 women physicians, we curated a focus group that discussed the SMART Trial design, leadership, and actionable strategies for achieving future success – all facilitated by our founder, Dr. Roxana Mehran.
The Results
Women As One brought 12 structural heart experts together with Medtronic leaders for a dynamic discussion on how to keep the momentum of the SMART Trial going. By partnering with Women As One, Medtronic ensured they have the foresight to make the SMART Trial results resonate and insights in to how they can continue to prioritize equitable trials and women’s health.
The partnership between Medtronic and Women As One over the last five years has resulted in meaningful relationships with established and emerging female physicians. We’ve been able to leverage their voices to directly impact our business strategy and identify strong female physicians for professional opportunities based on their expertise and areas of interest. We look forward to our continued partnership!
Nina Goodheart
SVP and President, Structural Heart & Aortic at Medtronic
Esperion: Increasing clinical trial diversity through insights from women in cardiology
The Challenge
When Esperion completed its CLEAR Outcomes study, they were thrilled to have enrolled 48% women. As most trials enroll fewer than 30% women, Esperion wanted to celebrate this achievement and understand how they could continue to set the bar higher for clinical trial enrollment diversity. When they reached out to Women As One and expressed their interest in holding a forum for discussion, we not only agreed – we enthusiastically said, “Yes!”
The Women As One Solution
We sat down with Esperion and ideated the event details: a networking reception featuring a panel discussion on the results from CLEAR and barriers and opportunities for enrolling more women into clinical trials that would take place during the 2024 American College of Cardiology Annual Scientific Sessions.
Esperion also wanted to create a keepsake publication, “The Pulse of Change, Women in Cardiology ” which would showcase the history of women in cardiology linked to the opportunity to improve gender disparities in cardiovascular care and research.
With the event planned, we got to work identifying and securing experts on diversity in clinical trial enrollment and promoted the event to our community of women physicians. We also collaborated with content and design experts to create the keepsake book.
As Esperion showed the results of their CLEAR Outcomes study to women cardiologists from around the globe in conjunction with the launch of “The Pulse of Change”, we watched as history was made and honored.
The Results
Over 100 women and allies showed up to celebrate the success of CLEAR and discuss ways to forge new standards for the enrollment of women in clinical trials. Dr. Michael Gibson, whose artwork was featured in “The Pulse of Change” was also on hand to sign copies of the book!
Esperion gained actionable insights about advancing gender diversity in clinical trial enrollment and leadership and Women As One helped to showcase Esperion as an important leader in research equity.
Boston Scientific: Identifying future thought leaders through a curated opportunity at TCT 2023
The Challenge
Boston Scientific understands women are often excluded from opportunities in cardiology, from procedural leadership to industry collaboration. They are interested in being part of the solution, and as they prepared for TCT 2023, they wanted to connect with up-and-coming women thought leaders to support their awareness of ways of working with Boston Scientific. When they contacted Women As One, we knew we could help them do just that.
The Women As One Solution
Women As One and Boston Scientific agreed that the best way to draw interest was to create a compelling program addressing the issue that had Boston Scientific looking for their future thought leaders in the first place: lack of industry opportunity.
We agreed to host a panel event in the Boston Scientific exposition hall booth at TCT 2023 to discuss their pipeline as a direct way of connecting with industry opportunities. Women As One worked with Boston Scientific to craft an agenda that would appeal to our community and sourced the Talent Directory to invite women matching Boston Scientific’s thought leadership strategy to participate.
The Results
Over 50 attendees participated in the breakfast event, with half staying afterward to connect with Boston Scientific staff. A junior cardiologist and former Women As One CLIMB participant we identified for the panel immediately caught Boston Scientific’s attention and has gone on to work with them further. Boston Scientific also now has ongoing access to a pool of qualified women to tap in to for future opportunities.
Separately, we can bring about change. Working together, we have no doubt we’re moving the needle for women in cardiology.
Novartis: Meeting the demand for expertise in specific disease states
The Challenge
As Novartis grows, so does their commitment to including the voices of women in cardiology. Whether they are looking for thought leaders or need clinical trial leadership positions filled, Novartis is committed to women’s representation.
When they needed to identify thought leaders among extremely specific disease states, it was hard to imagine where they could easily find detailed expertise through their current contact vendors. So, Novartis asked us to connect them with women cardiologists who fit the bill.
The Women As One Solution
Novartis gave Women As One a detailed report on what they were looking for in new connections: women in cardiology, proceduralists, experts in PAD and plaque, among other specific disease states. They were hoping to find women who had experience in these areas clinically but also through guideline committee participation and publication expertise.
There’s no question that this level of detail was a high bar to meet – but we were more than up to the challenge. Women As One got to work using our Talent Directory and other survey and programming data to deliver detailed profiles to Novartis.
The Results
We ultimately delivered 125 contacts specifically curated to meet the criteria Novartis asked for. Women As One recently met with the Novartis team in-person to review and discuss outreach plans for these profiles and other ways that we could support their though leader engagement strategy.
We are proud to be a Women As One industry partner, and utilization of their Talent Directory is just one way that we are able to ensure we have representation of female voices and ideas across all levels and areas of practice to conceptualize and execute all our initiatives in cardiology.
Cheryl Abbas, PharmD, FAHA
US Medical Team Head, ASCVD at Novartis
Abbott: Building global relationships through a panel discussion at ESC Congress 2023
The Challenge
Abbott Vascular was looking to connect with women cardiologists at the 2023 ESC Congress in Amsterdam. Their aim was two-fold: have honest conversations about what it’s like to be a woman cardiologist in Europe and engage with current and future thought leaders for ongoing collaborative opportunities. As a US-based company, they approached Women As One as a partner in reaching their goals.
The Women As One Solution
Women As One got to work curating a panel discussion with Abbott on leadership in cardiology. We also sourced a venue at the congress center, managed marketing and registration and provided all on-site logistics support. With over 2,600 women cardiologists involved with Women As One, we contacted our Talent Directory registrants to encourage those who would be interested in contributing to the discussion to attend.
The panel was a mix of men and women leaders in the field and featured a special presentation from Ukranian cardiologist Oksana Marchenko, a past Women As One CLIMB program participant, about her work to support displaced Ukranian physicians in the UK.
The Results
The event drew over 200 attendees, and the atmosphere was charged with excitement. Abbott gained access to established and new voices in the field, building groundwork for future collaborations, and together taking a step toward a more inclusive future for women across the globe.
The collaboration with Women As One at the ESC Congress allowed us to directly meet with global cardiologists in a meaningful way. Leadership is a universal trait that many women cardiologists are seeking to further their development, that’s why Abbott partnered with Women As One to create a robust agenda focused on leadership development in a safe, engaging and fun environment.
Jennifer Jones-McMeans, PhD
Divisional Vice President of Global Clinical Affairs at Abbott
Partner with us
These examples are a few of many of how we can support you to reach your organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals. We offer many different ways to work with us, as well as creating bespoke solutions to meet your needs. Get in touch today.
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Women in Cardiology: Panel and Networking Event
Event Date – 17/11/2024 6:00 pm
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