UPMC Health Plan & Postindustrial Launch Season 3 'Good Health, Better World' Podcast Focused on Women's Health

Pittsburgh (Oct. 24, 2023) – UPMC Health Plan and Postindustrial have launched Season 3 of the successful "Good Health, Better World" podcast, which focuses on women's health topics, including chronic disease, pregnancy and reproductive health, parenting, healthy aging, and preventive care.

"Stronger communities begin with good health for everyone. While Season 2 focused on the ways our mental health is key to resilience and overall well-being, Season 3 focuses on women’s health and their needs at all stages of life," said Diane Holder, President and Chief Executive Officer of UPMC Health Plan. "We want our 'Good Health, Better World' podcast listeners to be inspired to take action to improve their health and be better advocates for others in their community."

The nine-episode series is hosted by Ellen Beckjord, PhD, MPH, Vice President, Population Health and Clinical Optimization for UPMC Health Plan. Dr. Beckjord spoke to community leaders, government stakeholders, and health care experts on women's health issues, including cancer prevention and detection, the latest clinical research related to women's health, how UPMC and others are working to address maternal mortality, and women's health equity.

The Star Ratings program measures plans in member-focused areas that include person-centered care, equity, safety, affordability and efficiency, treatment of chronic conditions, wellness and prevention, seamless care coordination, and behavioral health. These criteria follow five broad categories that emphasize and promote patient perspectives of care including: Outcomes, Intermediate Outcomes, Patient Experience, Access, and Process.

"Women's health is foundational to the health of our families, communities, and society. As a woman, mother, daughter, and health care executive with a female manager at a woman-led health care insurer, I was definitely excited about this season’s focus," said Dr. Beckjord.

For Season 3, Dr. Beckjord spoke with these and other guests:

• Dr. Sonya Borrero, Director of CONVERGE, the Center for Innovative Research on Gender Health Equity at the University of Pittsburgh, about developments in research related to women's health.
• Stacey Shankle, who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology at the Midlife Health Center at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, about navigating changes in midlife.
• Dr. Crystal Clark, Chief Medical Officer for UPMC Community HealthChoices and Senior Adviser for the UPMC Center for Social Impact, about the intersection of chronic disease and social determinants of health.

Episode Titles:
Episode 1: Providing comprehensive care to today's women
Episode 2: Solutions for safer reproductive health care
Episode 3: Support for pregnant people in marginalized communities
Episode 4: Finding community in motherhood
Episode 5: Staying healthy through midlife and beyond
Episode 6: The complexities of chronic disease in women
Episode 7: Prevention as self-care: Shifting the paradigm Episode 8: Disparities in diagnosing and treating breast cancer Episode 9: New research frontiers in women's health equity

The podcast is available via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast streaming platforms. Future episodes will be released weekly.

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About UPMC Insurance Services

UPMC Insurance Services serves nearly 4.5 million members and is owned and operated by UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider and insurer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. UPMC Insurance Services provides commercial products through UPMC Health Plan for both groups and individuals. Its commercial products also include workers' compensation and employee assistance from nationally known Workpartners^®. Government products include Medicare Advantage plans (UPMC for Life); special needs plans for those who are eligible for Medicare and Medical Assistance (UPMC for Life Complete Care and UPMC Community HealthChoices); a Medical Assistance plan (UPMC for You); and Children's Health Insurance Program plans (UPMC for Kids). Community Care Behavioral Health Organization—one of the nation's largest nonprofit managed care behavioral health organizations—is also part of the Insurance Services Division. Community Care offers a full range of services to commercial and Medical Assistance members. For more information, visit upmchealthplan.com.

About Postindustrial

Postindustrial Media is an award-winning journalism-first, multimedia outlet and podcast production company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Postindustrial covers regions once highly industrialized and efforts to reimagine them for a new era, building conversations through its daily digital newsletters, podcasts, events, and video.

The company focuses its coverage on Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and parts of New York and North Carolina but has readers around the world. For more information, visit postindustrial.com.