Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Hearst Women’s Health Lab event in New York City. This full-day summit brought together powerhouse voices across medicine, media, advocacy, and brand leadership. From real-world patients to A-listers and athletes alongside top healthcare executives, the panels didn’t just spotlight women’s health issues, they confronted systemic gaps and emphasized the urgent need for change.
The themes that emerged — underfunding, underrepresentation, and a general lack of awareness around women’s unique health experiences — are the very challenges we work to solve in healthcare PR every day. Whether it’s advocating for earlier health screenings, elevating awareness around menopause and aging, or helping brands show up with authenticity, this event was a powerful reminder that the stories we tell, and the way we tell them, truly matter.
Panelists Who Spoke from the Heart
What made the event so special were the personal, vulnerable moments shared on stage. These weren’t rehearsed sound bites or polished PR moments, but rather honest, human experiences.
- Actress and Advocate Selma Blair shared the emotional journey of her MS diagnosis and the relief of finally putting a name to the symptoms she had experienced throughout her life. While recounting her experience, she pointed out a harsh truth: men with similar symptoms are often diagnosed more quickly and receive better care, underscoring the gender disparities that still exist in medicine.
- Model, Author, and Entrepreneur Chrissy Teigen opened up about her son’s experience with type 1 diabetes, candidly sharing how the diagnosis reshaped her family’s day-to-day routine and overall dynamic. She spoke about the fear, learning curve, and constant vigilance that came with managing his condition — a reminder of how chronic illness affects the entire family, not just the patient.
- Supermodel Christie Brinkley reminded us of the often-overlooked role caregivers play in the health journey. In sharing her experience supporting her mother with heart disease, she shed light on the emotional labor, constant worry, and difficult decisions that come with caregiving.
- Actress and Mental Health Advocate Lili Reinhart and Singer-Songwriter Lizzy McAlpine revealed the mental health challenges young women face today, emphasizing the importance of de-stigmatizing the conversation surrounding conditions like depression and anxiety. They spoke about the toll that social media can take on self-image and emotional wellbeing, noting how constant comparison, pressure to appear “okay,” and online scrutiny often exacerbate existing struggles.
These stories made one thing clear: health issues don’t exist in a vacuum. They touch every part of life. And as communicators in the healthcare space, we need to ensure we are creating space for this kind of honesty and empathy in our messaging.
What This Means for Healthcare PR
The Women’s Health Lab offered a blueprint for how brands can participate meaningfully in women’s health conversations. Here are three key takeaways for healthcare leaders:
- Intentional representation matters. It’s not enough for women to be present in healthcare conversations — they need to be in positions of authority and influence. That means ensuring diverse women are enrolled in clinical research, leading scientific studies, shaping brand narratives, and pushing for policies that reflect real-world needs. When representation is intentional and inclusive, it leads to better outcomes for everyone.
- Brand alignment must extend beyond visuals. Event sponsors who leaned into education, storytelling, and real experiences left a lasting impression. By leveraging spokespeople not just for their reach, but for their ability to share meaningful, lived experiences, panels elevated the conversation beyond brand messaging and product benefits. The result? Conversations that felt personal, relevant, and rooted in real connection.
- Health impacts the whole person. Solutions should too. For many women, the hardest parts of managing a condition aren’t always clinical. It’s the everyday disruptions — the physical, emotional, and logistical burdens that ripple through their lives. As communicators, we have an opportunity to craft messages and solutions that acknowledge the full experience of being a patient, and help make life a little easier in the moments that matter most.
Looking Ahead
At Coyne, we believe in the power of purposeful storytelling, and the Hearst Women’s Health Lab reaffirmed that when media, medicine, and marketing unite around a shared mission, the result is more than a buzzworthy moment, it’s lasting impact.
As healthcare communicators, it’s our responsibility to guide clients through this evolving space with clarity and compassion. It’s not about being trendy or chasing headlines. It’s about listening, showing up with intention, and advancing critical innovation that drives change.
