Purpose and Partnerships for Progress in Women’s Health
By Arianna DeLorenzi, Deputy Director, Advocacy Relations, Women’s Healthcare, Bayer U.S.
I have always been drawn towards working with teams and groups that are focused on creating a healthier, more equal world. I’ve been pulled to work that is driven by the idea that everyone should have access to quality healthcare. They should have that access whether they were born in suburban Minnesota — like me — or in Nairobi, Kenya.
The companies and the people I had the honor of working with, all share a deep commitment to addressing some of the greatest public health issues around the world. These include access to childhood immunizations, preventing maternal mortality, and eliminating deadly infectious diseases like malaria and Ebola.
In this work around the world, there was a relentless commitment to making sure all people had access to the healthcare they needed and deserved. There was also a passion for partnering to make it happen. We held a belief that we could do more and better when we realized that no one organization or company could solve these issues alone. And more importantly, that the communities we worked with were the true experts on the scope of the challenges because they had the deepest knowledge of the issues and appropriate ways to solve them.
This work took me around the world, where I learned to appreciate the power of listening, and collaboration. A saying I heard in my travels was, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” And this is a lesson I’ve carried with me.
In 2019, I explored how I might work on healthcare challenges closer to home. I jumped at the chance to join Bayer’s Advocacy Relations team and work in Women’s Healthcare. Bayer, with more than 50 years of advancing women’s health and access to reproductive healthcare was a place I could use my passion for partnerships and public health. Within weeks of joining, I saw there would be new ways for me to contribute to the ecosystem that supports women seeking reproductive healthcare in the United States. This time, I would have the support of the Bayer brand and resources — financial, intellectual, human.
At this time in 2019 despite many advances in policy and healthcare delivery, every woman in the United States still did not have access to quality reproductive healthcare without barriers. The safety-net that’s meant to be there was itself unraveling too. This put stress on an already stretched network.
Building on Bayer’s commitment to women’s health, we created a full program to support the women and their families who are most in need of care. This program, now known as We’re for Her, centers on: 1) access to contraceptive products, 2) collaboration with national and community partners, and 3) education and informational tools for patients and healthcare providers.
· First, we gave financial support to the humanitarian group, Direct Relief, to administer the first Community Health Awards in reproductive health. These awards aim to advance programs at women’s health clinics, community health centers, and free and charitable clinics. They will strengthen family planning services to the most underserved and vulnerable populations across the country. The program, funded by Bayer and implemented by Direct Relief, provides awards for new and expanded programs that remove barriers to access for reproductive health services in underserved communities. Funding for programs is intended to increase access to family planning education, outreach and services.
· Second, Bayer has made a three-year commitment to donate thousands of IUDs to Direct Relief. These products are an important element for safety-net health care providers to offer contraceptive options to their patients. These patients are often uninsured and low-income women.
· Finally, Bayer is offering information and education to help providers and patients make the most safe and effective choices for their health and their families.
There is still much work to be done to build a stronger, more equitable system for those most in need. It will take the work of many over time. In the meantime, we are proud of We’re for Her. This program was launched as a way for our company, as leaders in Women’s Healthcare, to show our commitment to health and access for all women.
