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Good morning, Fearless readers:
Our two main stories this week focus on an important topic: women's health care.
From reproductive health to chronic illness to mental health, women's health often takes a backseat in research and development.
We talked with experts hoping to change that.
In this week’s Fearless e-newsletter, you will find:
- A story about Hope Jensen and her goal to change the narrative around menopause.
- A preview of our upcoming Fearless Focus on women's health care.
- In the headlines: Catch Des Moines hired Trina Flack as its new president, CEO.
- In case you missed it: A closer look at Neighborhood Development Corporation Executive Director Sadie Trytten.
- Lots more!
— Macey Shofroth, Fearless editor
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Hope Jensen wants to change the narrative about menopause
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BY MACEY SHOFROTH, FEARLESS EDITOR
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When Hope Jensen was studying to become a nurse practitioner, she bought textbooks on reproductive endocrinology in hopes she’d learn about women’s health in ways her coursework wasn’t providing.
This was around 2007. Five years earlier, the Women’s Health Initiative, the largest National Institutes of Health study ever focused on women’s health, shared findings that claimed that hormone replacement therapy increased a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer. The study, which has been described as faulty by some critics, resulted in many women fearing using hormone replacement therapy to manage their menopause symptoms, despite it being an effective treatment.
As Jensen read about the experiences of women during menopause and understood the scarcity of options to improve those experiences, she had one thought — she didn’t want this to happen to her.
She’s now working every day to ensure other women in their midlives don’t feel the same way. Jensen is a family nurse practitioner specializing in menopause care. She is a certified menopause practitioner through the Menopause Society and operates With Hope Direct Primary Care.
"I absolutely do not want women to think ‘Oh my god, this is awful,’ when they hear the word menopause," Jensen said. "It can also be a really empowering time of your life where you can start to say, ‘I’m going to do some things for my health that are going to benefit me in the long run.’ Symptoms can be really bothersome and uncomfortable, and know that there’s treatment there. But also think of it as a time where you’re going to take charge of your health."
Fearless sat down with Jensen to talk about her care model, how caring for menopause has evolved and four ways she believes women can change the narrative around this midlife transition.
Jensen advised that her general advice is not a substitute for a specific medical care plan. She recommends you consult your health care provider to find treatment options that work for you and your medical history.
1. Establish good provider-patient relationships
Around the same time Jensen was beginning her nurse practitioner practice, she also noticed an alarming trend across health care.
"There wasn’t a lot of pressure to see a certain number of patients. As the years went by, that just slowly started to change. There was more pressure to see more patients in less amount of time," she said.
Jensen saw patients becoming frustrated with how little time they had to discuss their issues with their providers. Providers weren’t able to dig deep into causes and missed opportunities to try different solutions.
Jensen decided to approach this issue differently by opening a clinic that used the direct primary health care model. This model uses a membership-based service, which is a monthly fee that covers all of the care they receive from Jensen. She’s able to take on a smaller patient load that gets direct access to her.
"I can give them much more personalized care. They get more access and longer visits. It’s really bringing the service back into health care," Jensen said.
Since this model of service isn’t used widely in Iowa, Jensen encouraged patients to search for a primary care provider that takes their needs seriously.
"Finding a primary care provider has become incredibly difficult all over the state. Patients want to be listened to when they feel like something’s not quite right," Jensen said.
2. Don’t miss your yearly check-up with your doctor
"Probably 15 years ago is when we started changing the guidelines for pap smears and saying you don’t need to come in for a pap smear every year. As soon as women heard, ‘Oh I don’t need to come in every year for my pap smear?’ they said "OK, then I’m not coming in.’ And it was really bad because these are the years we really need women to start coming in regularly," Jensen said.
Jensen said that when many women in their 30s, 40s and 50s are juggling career and family obligations, they start to put their own health on the back burner. That means key health indicators, like weight and different blood tests, aren’t being measured.
It leaves women and their providers with an incomplete understanding of how their health changes as they age. But those regular checkups provide opportunities to build a relationship with your provider and learn more about yourself.
"It’s important to advocate. Ask questions about your health. Know where your numbers are. Ask for copies of your lab work. Ask what they mean so you know what’s happening with your body," Jensen said.
3. Understand your health history and risk factors
Those yearly checkups and having a good grasp on your medical history may also help your health care provider find the most effective ways to manage your menopause symptoms.
Jensen explained that prevention of the conditions that often occur around the same time as menopause should begin early.
"I want to increase awareness about knowing your medical history. Know what your risk factors are for certain diseases. Know what your cholesterol numbers are. Know what your blood pressure is. All of that is really important because when women are in their menopause transition is when we start to see risk for diabetes, heart disease and increasing risk for stroke," Jensen said. "What we do now when you’re in your late 30s, 40s and 50s really relates how healthy you’re going to be in your 50s, 60s and 70s."
Jensen also recommends patients ask their mothers about their experience with menopause.
"If you have access to your mom, ask her what her menopause experience was like, because that is very predictive of what your menopause experience will be like," Jensen said.
4. Know you don’t have to just "suck it up" and deal with your menopause symptoms
Menopause happens when a woman’s hormones begin to decrease, typically from ages 45-55. The most common symptoms of menopause are irregular menstrual bleeding, abnormalities in body temperature and genitourinary symptoms.
The symptoms are uncomfortable for most women. Jensen wants them to know that they don’t have to accept symptomsas they are.
"Women are finally realizing that they do not have to suffer in silence with these symptoms," Jensen said.
Jensen explained that patients have the option of both hormonal and nonhormonal treatments to manage their symptoms. Hormonal treatments include estrogen and progesterone therapy, which are now considered less risky than they were when the Women’s Health Initiative was released. Non-hormonal treatments could include antidepressant medications or behavioral therapy to help with mood changes and brain fog.
Patients should consult with their medical provider to see what treatments would work best for them. There are still risks with hormonal treatments, and your medical history plays a big part in what your doctor will recommend.
But the most important thing, according to Jensen, is that you talk to someone about your symptoms.
"At my time of entry into practice, there was this thought that there wasn’t much to do for [menopause], and you just need to suck it up and suffer," Jensen said. "Opening up the conversation is what needs to happen. More and more practitioners are learning about menopause. I’m really positive that we’re going to have more access to practitioners talking about women in their midlife transition."
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Fearless Focus preview: Medical professionals discuss barriers to health care for women
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BY MACEY SHOFROTH, FEARLESS EDITOR
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Event details:
Thursday, June 19 | Noon to 1 p.m. | Virtual | Register for free
Women have long faced disparities in accessing adequate health care, and conditions that predominantly affect women have fewer studies dedicated to them.
Iowa ranks last among all 50 states with the fewest obstetrics doctors per capita, according to the Cicero Institute. In 2024, the state implemented one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country. Women of color face heightened health disparities compared to white women.
However, several health care leaders have devoted their careers to tackling these issues.
In our upcoming Fearless Focus event, experts from across the state will share what these trends mean for women’s health care in Iowa and highlight solutions.
Registration is free. We hope you join us and encourage others to do the same. The Fearless Focus events allow us to highlight amazing women working across Iowa and they fulfill our main goal: to empower Iowa women to succeed in work and life.
Meet our speakers
Ahead of the event, we asked each speaker to tell us about one barrier they see preventing Iowa women from accessing the health care they need. Dr. Wanakee Carr, an OB-GYN with the Iowa Clinic, will also be a panelist.
Here’s what they said:
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Tara Geddes, chief nursing officer, Floyd Valley Healthcare
One major barrier is convenient access to health care providers. Specifically, 41 hospitals in Iowa have closed their birthing centers and this is expected to continue. This causes women to have to travel longer distances to receive maternal care. The inconvenience of having to travel causes disruption to women’s work and family lives and as women we tend to put our families before ourselves so [women] often forgo the care they need.
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Nichole Nidey, assistant professor, department of epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health
From a public health perspective, one of the most pressing barriers to care for Iowa women is the declining access to care. Data show that large portions of the state qualify as maternal health deserts, with limited or no access to obstetric care. These gaps disproportionately affect rural communities and are further compounded by factors like transportation challenges, workforce shortages and stigma, particularly for women with substance use disorders. Addressing these barriers requires a systems-level response that integrates reproductive and behavioral health services, and expands the capacity of rural health systems.
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Christina Schark, executive director, Southern Iowa Mental Health Center
Regarding mental health specifically, I think the biggest barrier to women seeking treatment is the dilemma of how to know the difference between a bad day, a bad mood and an actual mental health concern. Humans were created with a variety of different emotions. We are meant to feel a lot of things, for different reasons. Women are often thought of as the "emotional gender" anyway, and in addition to hormone concerns, it is common for women to have mood swings. We are emotional creatures; we feel things deeply. Our emotions fluctuate to a greater extent. So, the question is: What is the difference between our normal emotions we were created with and what is a developing, or even serious, mental health concern that needs professional help? That, in my opinion, is one of the biggest barriers for women seeking mental health treatment.
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"IGNORE THE GLASS CEILING AND DO YOUR WORK. IF YOU'RE FOCUSING ON THE GLASS CEILING, FOCUSING ON WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE, FOCUSING ON THE LIMITATIONS, THEN YOU WILL BE LIMITED."
AVA DUVERNAY
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Catch Des Moines hires internally for new president, CEO. Catch Des Moines announced current vice president of sales Trina Flack will serve as the organization's next president and CEO. Flack has been with Catch Des Moines for 17 years and will replace Greg Edwards, who will retire in July. According to Catch Des Moines, Flack has helped secure major events that have brought millions of dollars in economic development to the region, including the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (2016, 2019, 2023 and upcoming in 2028), the Dew Tour, Ironman North American Championship and the National Speech and Debate Tournament.
Des Moines University appoints new leader of clinical affairs. Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences has appointed Tricia Berry as the new director of undergraduate clinical affairs. Berry brings over 25 years of experience in health care education and clinical placement, most recently serving at Purdue Global, where she led and designed the implementation of clinical education for online health sciences programs. In her new role, she will oversee clinical education programs for students in the university’s health sciences and medicine programs. "Dr. Berry's expertise in organizational leadership and clinical program development combined with her collaborative spirit and forward-thinking approach makes her an exceptional fit for this role," said Dr. Mark LeDuc, associate dean for clinical affairs, in a prepared statement.
City of Clive appoints new city council member. The Clive City Council announced the unanimous appointment of Breanne Hocker on May 22. Hocker will fill the vacancy left by Srikant Mikkilineni, who stepped down April 11. Hocker has lived in Clive since 2020 and served on the Clive Board of Adjustment for the last five years. Thank you to the Council for this appointment. I’m excited to get going," Hocker said in a statement. "Clive truly is ‘Distinct by Nature.’ I’m proud to live in Clive, and I want others to be as well."
Planned Parenthood closing 4 Iowa clinics, laying off staff amid federal funding threats. Planned Parenthood North Central States announced the closure of four Iowa reproductive health clinics due to threats to federal funding. Clinics will close in Ames, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Urbandale, leaving two clinics in the state in Des Moines and Iowa City. Four clinics will close in Minnesota, as well. Services are expected to be moved out of the affected clinics by July 1, according to the Des Moines Register.
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What top IVF advocates want from the White House fertility care plan (Iowa Capital Dispatch). What parents of boys should know (The Atlantic).
Artist Claire Sedovic making her mark on Des Moines with community paint-by-numbers mural (Des Moines Register). After CDC cuts, doctors fear women will lose access to contraception research (NPR). Jan Todd may be the reason you're lifting weights (New York Times). FDA chief says pregnant women should decide on COVID vaccine with doctors (NBC News).
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A Closer Look: Sadie Trytten
Executive director, Neighborhood Development Corp.
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BY MICHAEL CRUMB, BUSINESS RECORD SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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Sadie Trytten took the reins of Neighborhood Development Corp. on Jan. 1, leading the nonprofit’s mission of revitalizing commercial and multifamily properties in up-and-coming neighborhoods that are underserved by the private sector.
She previously served as NDC’s director of real estate, director of operations and sat on the organization’s board. Trytten also served as executive director for the FuseDSM chamber of commerce after leading the South Des Moines and East Des Moines chambers of commerce before they merged. After graduating from University of Northern Iowa, she worked in the printing industry.
Trytten grew up in a single-parent household in Remsen, in northwest Iowa, after her dad died in a car accident when she was 5 years old. She played volleyball while attending Remsen St. Mary’s High School, and planned to continue playing in college until Westmar College in nearby Le Mars closed, leading her to attend UNI.
It’s the culmination of those life and career experiences, along with her passion for the community, that Trytten said motivates her to continue NDC’s work to redevelop dilapidated properties, which it does with the help of $1 million each year from the city of Des Moines.
Among NDC projects are Chuck’s Restaurant in the Highland Park neighborhood, and the building that houses Lucky Horse Beer & Burgers, at 2231 University Ave., in the Drake neighborhood.
NDC’s office is on the second floor of that building, and that’s where the Business Record sat down with Trytten to learn more about her vision for NDC.
Learn more about Trytten and NDC.
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At its core, Fearless exists to help empower Iowa women to succeed in work and life. We believe that everyone has a story to share and that we cannot progress as a society unless we know about one another. We share stories through featuring women in our reporting, featuring guest contributions and speakers at our events.
We are always looking for new stories to share and people to feature. Get in touch with us!
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