PWH® is an organization dedicated to ongoing professional leadership development in healthcare businesses. We are a member organization providing a national voice and progressive leadership for women in healthcare products manufacturing and delivery industries. Our goal is to reach all women in our industry and empower them in their personal and professional lives. We are also committed to integrated leadership development and gender equity for all individuals within the industries we serve. Vision – To create a culturally inclusive healthcare industry equally led by women.
Midmark Corporation hosted the PWH® Board Meeting in August.
With Deep Gratitude, We Close 2024 and Anticipate Greater Heights
Where did this year go? It feels like only yesterday we were setting our 2024 goals and working on tactics to make our dreams come true. Now we find ourselves in the whirlwind of wrapping them up, being held accountable to our wins and our losses.
This year has brought significant challenges in our medical industry, from staffing shortages, price increases, surprise shortages, as well as devastating storms that left communities (our members and customers) struggling to recover. Our hearts go out to everyone working tirelessly to rebuild and restore their lives. Meanwhile, we’re also racing against the clock to meet deadlines, close out projects and wrap up our fiscal or calendar year ends. Yet, amidst the hustle and bustle, there’s a shared excitement as we look forward to the holidays, eager to spend cherished time with family and friends.
As always, we owe a special thank you to our PWH® Corporate Partners and PWH® Leadership Summit Sponsors who make our organization stronger. This year’s Summit sponsors helped us break records! Our Corporate Partners, who support us day in and day out, help us provide top-notch PWH® programming to our members.
Registration is now open for our 2025 PWH® Leadership Summit. It will be held March 31st to April 2nd in Frisco, Texas, just outside Dallas, an easy flight to arrive and immerse yourself in amazing leadership programming.
Our PWH® programming continues yearlong. We’ll wrap up with a final Member Touchpoint in December and our annual HIDA Year in Review webinar. (Check mypwh.org for details).
Our unique mentoring programs support professional development year-round too. The PWH® Mentoring Committee facilitates one-on-one mentoring, situational mentoring and our ever-popular mentoring circles. Please consider becoming a mentor. While helping your mentee, you’ll end up with valuable lessons and experiences of your own leadership. Thanks to several new mentees who signed up just after our virtual Annual Member meeting.
To every volunteer, thank you for your dedication and hard work. Your contributions make our organization what it is today, and I am incredibly grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me. Thank you for making this journey unforgettable and for making our organization such a remarkable community.
As I pass the baton to our next leader, Ashleigh McLaughlin, I am honored and filled with humility, pride and comfort. I know that our organization will not only be in great hands, but it will also grow to even greater heights. This journey has taught me so much about leadership, stewardship and the value of supporting each member’s aspirations. Watching all of you grow has been a true privilege.
In your
Service, Allison Therwhanger, PWH® Chair
Allison Therwhanger
Active PWH® Members Continue to Improve Member Benefits and Support the Industry
In 2024, PWH® celebrated 20 years of Empowering Women to Lead and Succeed! As active members continue to improve member benefits and leadership resources for the industry, loyal Corporate Partners help the organization deliver its mission. In August this year, Midmark Corporation hosted the annual PWH® Board Meeting in Versailles, Ohio. Because of Midmark’s generous support, members of the PWH® Board were able to meet in-person to collaboratively plan inspiring programming for the future and celebrate this year’s achievements.
The PWH® Board met in Versailles, Ohio in August, hosted by Midmark Corporation.
At the meeting, outgoing PWH® Chair Allison Therwhanger recognized two PWH® active members for their outstanding service to PWH® in 2024. The awards went to Missy Simons, Vice Chair of Webinars for the PWH® Professional Development Committee, Corporate Account Executive at Midmark and to Jen O’Reilly, Chair of the PWH® Corporate Partners Committee, Vice President, National Accounts at B. Braun Medical.
“Missy stepped up and ran her programs effortlessly while supporting her fellow PDC members,” said Therwhanger. “Jen stepped up and took on the Chair of the CPC without hesitation and was ready for the challenge.”
Indeed, O’Reilly is leading her committee to enhance the value of PWH® Corporate Partnerships. In 2024, PWH® celebrated partnerships with 24 industry organizations. Simons is also helping to enhance the value of professional development programming offered by her committee. “Professional development can vary by member. The Webinar Subcommittee is committed to providing a variety of topics to help add valuable content to help PWH® members grow during their professional journey.”
Webinars are free for members but also open to nonmembers. “The content varies from professional development, industry insights and cultural inclusivity and diversity. All topics support the Mission of PWH®,” said Simons.
All PWH® Chairs and their dedicated committee members work hard all year to support the mission of PWH® and provide value to PWH® members and the industry. The Annual Member Meeting was held virtually on October 23, 2004. The meeting allowed PWH® Chairs to share updates and achievements made this year with membership.
Incoming PWH® Chair Ashleigh McLaughlin and PWH® Secretary Laura Reline bring value to PWH® and independent distributors.
Cultural Inclusion & Diversity Committee
Committee Chair: Sabrina Smith
> In 2024 the CID published a whitepaper providing benchmarks on industry organizations’ commitment to making all their employees feel valued. The whitepaper, “Cultural Inclusion & Diversity in Healthcare – Shaping the Future of Leadership,” is available on the PWH® website
> The CID provides various website resources to support inclusion and belonging and posts monthly blogs and quarterly articles to educate members and industry representatives on terms and processes that help all of us perform at an optimal level and feel like we belong
Corporate Partners Committee
Committee Chair: Jennifer O’Reilly
The CPC provides PWH® Corporate Partners with ToolKits and the following benefits:
> Annual business review with membership and professional development stats for your organization
> PWH® liaison to help achieve membership and professional development goals
> Succession planning and diversity/ inclusion guide
> All Professional Development Webinars complimentary for your PWH® members
> Access to PWH® formal mentoring program for all of your PWH® members
> Reduced fee available to PWH members for live professional development venues
> Recognition in PWH® e-newsletter and the PWH® Connect Journal
> Recognition on PWH® website
> Recognition at PWH® national events
> Complimentary PWH® memberships and reduced fee for additional PWH® Corporate memberships
> Recognition in PWH® advertisements
The annual PWH® Chair Award went to Jen O’Reilly, Chair of the PWH® Corporate Partners Committee and Vice President, National Accounts at B. Braun Medical
The annual PWH® Chair Award went to Missy Simons, Vice Chair of Webinars for the PWH® Professional Development Committee and Corporate Account Executive at Midmark
Midmark hosted the annual Board Meeting and a Regional Meeting in Versailles, Ohio. PWH® Leaders from l to r: Vicky Lyle, Sue Hulsmeyer, Allison Therwhanger and Jenny Collopy.
Leadership Summit Committee
Committee Chair: April Shomper
> 2024 PWH® Leadership Summit had a record 263 attendees
> The 2025 PWH ®Leadership Summit takes place in Frisco, Texas, March 31st through April 1st
Marketing Committee
Committee Chair: Natalie Martin
> The Marketing Committee supports all PWH® events and programming, keeps PWH® on brand and shares our message with the industry
Membership Committee
Committee Chair: Jessica Wells
> 255 New members in 2024
> 70 Members serving on committees
> Monthly Member Touchpoints – 1st Thursdays at 4 p.m. ET
> Bi-monthly Coffee Chats – 3rd Thursdays of Even Months at 11 a.m. ET
> Bi-monthly Cocktail Hour Chat – 3rd Thursdays of Odd Months at 5:30 p.m. ET
Mentoring Committee
Committee Chair: Khaki Weber
> 42 Individual Mentoring Matches and 3 Situational Matches in 2024
> Held two rounds of Mentoring Circles with 114 Attendees
Mentors Needed!
Are you a good role model? A strong job performer with great interpersonal and communication skills? Do you have a deep breadth of knowledge and experience in the healthcare industry?
Professional Development Committee
Committee Chair: Jessica Lucio
> PWH® is committed to providing continuing education programs for both women and men in our pursuit of creating leaders
> We offer a variety of opportunities including virtual, instructor-led courses and monthly webinars
Strategic Oversight Committee
Committee Chair: Janis Dezso
> In 2024, the CPC welcomed over 2,000 attendees to attend 12 Webinars, 2 Professional Development Courses and a variety of Coffee/Cocktail and Member Chats
> The SOC is currently focused on supporting greater collaboration and inter-committee connections to enhance our organizational communication and member benefits
Technology Committee
Committee Chair: Eryn Veronesi
Website Optimization:
> Improved webinar registration process - now live!
> Personalization on websitein progress!
> Improved member login areacoming soon!
> Improved member logout processcoming soon!
> Improved renewal processcoming soon!
The PWH® Board meets twice a year to plan PWH® programming and inspire each other.
Equity vs. Equality: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters in Today’s Workplace
Rather than lose valuable talent to conventional practices, understand strategies of equity so you can boost all your team members’ potential.
By Sabrina Smith, Chair of the PWH® Cultural Inclusion & Diversity Committee and Associate Director, Downstream Marketing for ECRI
In the modern workplace, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) have become cornerstones of creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected. Yet, one common area of confusion that arises in DEIB conversations is the distinction between equality and equity. Understanding this difference is vital for creating a workplace that truly supports the diverse needs of all employees.
Below we define the terms “equality” and “equity.” Next, we provide a specific workplace example to explain how an approach based on equity not only leads to a greater sense of belonging for employees, but it can also support best outcomes for organizational goals.
What is Equality?
Equality is about providing the same resources, opportunities and support to all individuals. This approach assumes that everyone starts from the same place and has the same needs. In essence, equality aims to create fairness by treating everyone the same way, regardless of individual circumstances.
In practice, equality might look like offering identical equipment, resources or benefits packages to every employee in a company. While this approach ensures that everyone is treated similarly, it doesn’t account for the unique barriers, backgrounds or experiences that individuals may bring with them.
What is Equity?
Equity, on the other hand, takes into consideration the individual needs, backgrounds and starting points of employees. Rather than providing the same resources to everyone, equity aims to allocate resources and
Members of the PWH® CID Committee led a session at the 2024 PWH® Leadership Summit that helped explain The Power of Diversity. Left to right: Sabrina Smith, Chair of the PWH® CID Committee and Associate Director, Downstream Marketing for ECRI; Ashlee Perez-Gerrie Vice Chair of Content for the CID Committee and Manager, Marketing and Communications for Premier; Joe Machicote, Active Member of the CID Committee and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Premier
opportunities based on individual requirements, which may vary from person to person. This approach acknowledges that a one-size-fits-all strategy often fails to address the unique challenges faced by diverse individuals.
In the context of DEIB, equity strives to ensure fair treatment by understanding and addressing the systemic inequalities and personal circumstances that influence an employee’s success. Equity is about fairness, not sameness.
Equality vs. Equity: A Workplace Example
Let’s imagine a workplace scenario where employees are being offered resources for professional development. An organization committed to equality might provide the same annual stipend for training and development to every employee. In this approach, each employee has equal access to resources, ensuring that everyone is treated the same. However, this method fails to recognize that some employees might face additional barriers that make accessing or benefiting from these opportunities more challenging.
Now, imagine an organization committed to equity. Instead of allocating identical training stipends, the company assesses each employee’s unique needs. They recognize that certain employees might require more support based on factors such as career stage, access to educational opportunities or financial needs. As a result, they offer additional support, such as flexible schedules, extra coaching or mentorship opportunities for employees who might benefit from them more. An equitable approach enables all employees to make meaningful use of an organization’s resources, fostering a more inclusive environment.
The following example demonstrates how the organization can provide equitable training based on the unique needs of an employee.
Maya is a single mother of two young children who attend daycare during the day. She is eager to participate in the company’s new training program, which offers valuable skills development. However, Maya faces challenges that some of her colleagues don’t. She can't attend training sessions after standard working hours due to daycare limitations, and paying for the training upfront isn’t financially feasible for her.
Recognizing Maya’s unique situation, her organization takes the following equitable steps to support her:
1. Flexible Scheduling: Instead of expecting Maya to stay late, her manager arranges for her training to take place during regular work hours. If sessions are scheduled after hours, they are recorded so Maya can access them at her convenience.
2. Direct Payment Option: Understanding her financial constraints, the company waives the upfront payment requirement for Maya. The company covers the cost directly rather than have Maya pay first and wait for reimbursement.
3. Additional Coaching and Mentorship: Since Maya is managing a busy personal schedule, the company offers her extra coaching sessions during work hours to ensure she has the support needed to apply her new skills effectively.
Through these tailored accommodations, Maya receives the support she needs to succeed in the training program
without the additional burdens that her circumstances could create. This approach helps ensure she has the same opportunity for growth and advancement as her colleagues, fostering an inclusive, equitable workplace.
Why Equity Leads to a Stronger Sense of Belonging
When organizations embrace equity and equality, they build a workplace culture where employees feel understood and valued for their unique experiences. Equity-driven practices foster an environment where people feel truly included and able to contribute their best, knowing that the organization cares about their specific needs and challenges.
In the end, while equality is a wellintentioned goal, equity is what truly helps individuals thrive by recognizing that each person’s path to success is different. This distinction is the foundation of a strong, inclusive and belonging-centered culture that not only values diversity but actively supports it at every level.
Sabrina Smith is Chair of the PWH® Cultural Inclusion & Diversity Committee and Associate Director of Downstream Marketing for ECRI.
The 2025 PWH® Leadership Summit is headed to Frisco, Texas! Frisco is a hub of modern innovation and growth, offers a vibrant and cutting-edge environment, making it the ideal location to inspire and empower industry leaders at this year’s leadership conference.
All leaders are welcome! Open to women & men from all career levels – Aspiring Leaders to C-Suite Executives. Gain actionable takeaways through our PWH Leadership Insights (TED-style talks), empowering keynote speakers, engaging panel discussions, workshops & breakout sessions that cover a host of topics around pressing leadership issues
Agenda At-A-Glance
Monday, March 31
2:30 – 3:15 pm New Member / New Attendee Meet & Greet
All times listed are Central Standard Time. Schedule subject to change.
Thank You 2025 Sponsors!
The Empathetic
Leader: Leading Yourself & Others
Erin Diehl, Business Improv Edutainer, Failfluencer, and Professional Zoombie
Leadership is defined by actions, not titles, and YOU are the key to keeping people engaged, retained, and attracting top talent. Studies show that positive energy leads to higher engagement, lower turnover, and improved employee well-being. A leader’s energy, whether good or bad, has a ripple effect throughout the organization.
Erin Diehl uses her research, enthusiasm, and improv training to foster self-love, empathy, and inner peace. Discover how to harness these traits to create positive energy and empathetic leadership.This interactive keynote combines play, improv, and experiential learning to promote a culture of positivity and abundance.
Leadership Learning Objectives:
• Move from limiting beliefs (scarcity statements) into more enriching thoughts (abundance statements) on a consistent basis
• Realize that your thoughts affect your words, and that your words and tone affect everyone around you
• Create and implement your i.D.i.e.h.l. Day
Erin “Big” Diehl is a Business Improv Edutainer, Failfluencer, and Professional Zoombie. Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin created improve it!, an improv-infused talent development company for the new generation of work. She is the proud host of The improve it! Podcast, a Top 1% Global Podcast, which helps develop leaders and teams through play, improv and experiential learning, and first time author of the Amazon Best Seller & Top New Release: I See You! A Leader’s Guide to Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy. Among her many accolades, Erin is most proud of successfully coercing over 39,000 professionals to chicken dance.
This dynamic keynote inspires participants to step up in a new way to overcome resistance and reach higher than ever by cultivating Exponential Commitment™ in themselves and those around them. Participants will learn essential Vertical Lessons for deepening their commitment, building momentum, and achieving breakthroughs in even the most challenging circumstances.
Leaders will take away:
• Actionable insights on what it takes to gain clarity and see through the chaos every day
• 3 steps to build and rebuild momentum, even when they get knocked off route
• A daily process to keep them focused and fully committed to their key initiatives
Manley’s 11 years of leadership influence contributed to a workplace culture that landed Build-A-Bear Workshop on the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® List four years in a row. Manley served two terms as the president of the St. Louis chapter of the National Speakers Association. On a personal note, Manley likes to sleep on the side of mountains. Who doesn’t? Even more shocking is that his wife has been encouraging that for more than three decades, and his two kids still kiss him on the cheek in front of their friends.
PWH® Helps MTMC Connect with Valued Industry Partners
MTMC Mission
To provide our clients a distinct advantage through sales advocacy and innovation that empowers them to grow market share and achieve their business goals while partnering with healthcare buyers to deliver efficiencies and better position them to compete.
For Our Team
By fostering an innovative culture to empower an entrepreneurial spirit
For Health Systems
By educating care teams on products & services that positively impact quality of care
For the Supply Chain
By increasing procurement efficiencies to decrease the cost of acquisition
For Manufacturers
By implementing a national footprint and leveraging our proven end-user access
Company Name: MTMC (MedTechMedCare)
Location: Marstons Mills, Mass.
Year Established: 1980
Number of Employees: 160
Number of PWH® Members: 12
Internal PWH® Champion: Shannon Igo, Area Vice President (East), MTMC
Leadership Team
Jack Moran – Managing Partner
Dennis Snedden – Managing Partner
Mike McCabe – Vice President National Sales
Dan Moran – Vice President Supplier relations
Shannon Igo – Director of Sales East
Kayla Witsoe – Director of Sales West
For Distribution
By cultivating trusted relationships and providing product expertise
MTMC Vision and Principles
To work in the best interest of our customers, team and community we serve in order to advance, advocate for and to help them achieve their full potential.
We win together
Accountable and credible
We secure growth
We embrace change
MTMC Services
MTMC is a national outsourced sales solution supporting our supplier partners in the continuum of care. MTMC provides an exemplary nationwide sales team solution, meeting the emerging needs of leading healthcare manufacturers and end users. In 2023, average IDNs spent $1M with MTMC. On average, MTMC represents 17 suppliers to an IDN.
MTMC Top Initiatives for 2024-25
Add more resources to our sales team, clinical team and corporate account team.
Why MTMC Became a PWH® Corporate Partner
The PWH® reputation speaks for itself in the industry! MTMC continues to invest in bringing talented your women to their sales force and the timing seemed
perfect. We have continued to expand our partnership as the years have progressed. We have had a front row seat to see how much time and passion is invested in this special organization.
PWH® has not only helped our reps with professional development, but the organization has also connected us with valued partners in our everyday business.
MTMC has recognized tremendous value in being a member of MTMC. In addition, being a corporate partner has been a sound investment. PWH® does an outstanding job of highlighting their corporate sponsors at all their events throughout the year.
Unique Ways MTMC Supports PWH®
MTMC has been a corporate partner of PWH ® for the last four years. Each
year, we are more and more impressed with the quality and thought put into the content they continue to provide members. From the coffee chats with peers, webinars with top industry thought leaders and individual and peer mentoring circles. Our MTMC reps have been involved at various levels throughout the years and found value in all of these programs.
The Value PWH® Brings to MTMC
It’s hard to put into words how much value PWH ® has brought our members in the last few years. We have reps whose Peer Mentoring Circles ended over a year ago, and they still meet informally once a quarter because the conversations and friendship has been withstanding!
It has forced us as an organization to step back and look at our internal processes as well. In the coming year we will be putting together a more detailed onboarding process for our new reps that will include a portion of peer mentoring.
Each Friday we share the highlights of the week for our sales team in a newsletter and most weeks content from our PWH® webinars makes its way to that email.
And last but finally not least the PWH ® Leadership Summit has been a top-notch experience for the last three years we have attended. From its keynote speakers, the breakout sessions, hearing from industry leaders and meeting PWH ® members from across the country, the Summit provides an impactful few days. We carry that momentum with us throughout the remainder of the year!
PWH ® EXECUTIVE BOARD, 2024
ALLISON THERWHANGER
PWH® Chair
Innovia Medical
Vice President, Innovia Corporate Sales
VICKY LYLE
PWH® Past Chair
Owens & Minor
Vice President, Industry Associations
ASHLEIGH MCLAUGHLIN
PWH® Chair Elect and Treasurer
IMCO, Inc.
Chief Financial Officer
LAURA RELINE
Secretary
NDC, Inc.
Vice President, Supplier Management
APRIL SHOMPER
Leadership Summit Committee Chair
Vizient
Sr. Director, Events Strategy & Planning
NATALIE MARTIN
Marketing Committee Chair
NDC, Inc.
Director, Creative Services
JESSICA WELLS
Membership Committee Chair
Vizient
Sr. Director, Member Experience
KHAKI WEBER, R.N., MBA
Mentoring Committee Chair
Weber & Associates Consulting, Inc. Partner
JENNIFER O’REILLY
Corporate Partners Committee Chair
B. Braun Medical
Vice President, National Accounts
SABRINA SMITH
Cultural Inclusion & Diversity Committee Chair
ECRI
Associate Director, Downstream Marketing
JESSICA LUCIO
Professional Development Committee Chair
Vizient
Sr. Director, Business Learning
JANIS DEZSO
Strategic Oversight Committee Chair
J. Dez Strategies, Inc
Principle/Founder
ERYN VERONESI
Technology Committee Chair
NDC, Inc.
Business Development Manager, Marketing Sales & Service
What to Expect with the New U.S. Presidential Administration
By Kathryn DiBitetto, Vice President of Congressional Relations, Health Industry Distributors Association
The 2024 elections brought significant changes, with former President Donald Trump’s return to office and dozens of new lawmakers in Congress. These electoral and policy shifts will be front and center as Washington faces new legislative and regulatory issues in the coming months. Below provides some context for changes in Washington for 2025.
New Presidential Administration
During the campaign, President Trump advocated for higher tariffs and curbing regulations across a variety of industries. Addressing pharmaceutical shortages and bringing drug manufacturing to the United States has also been a priority for President Trump. He plans to restore his Executive Order (EO) on Essential Medicines which, “sought to ensure sufficient and reliable, long-term domestic production of essential medications, minimizing potential shortages by reducing our dependence on foreign manufacturers.”
New Medical Professionals in Congress
Three incoming members of Congress are themselves professional women working in healthcare. Congresswoman Kelly Morrison (D-MN) has been a practicing OB-GYN for over 20 years. Congresswoman Sherri Biggs (R-SC) is a nurse practitioner and veteran of the Air National Guard, where she served as medical crew director on
five combat missions in Afghanistan. Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (D-OR) is a pulmonary and critical care physician at Kaiser Permanente in Portland.
New Focus on Tax Policy
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, known in Washington as the “Trump tax cuts,” are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. Congress will debate whether targeted tax breaks and deductions for individuals will continue and whether the corporate tax rate will remain at 21 percent. HIDA is already monitoring tax policy to advocate for the best interests of the medical supply chain.
New Opportunities for Advocacy
Every election is different, and the makeup of every government in
Washington is different. Over the last five years, partisan control of the House of Representatives, the Senate and White House have switched control between each political party, some more than once.
Therefore, the need to advocate for the medical supply chain on a bipartisan basis remains constant. HIDA serves as the voice for healthcare industry distributors on legislative and regulatory issues. Our annual Washington Summit gives healthcare distribution leaders an opportunity to engage in-person with members of Congress and their staff. If you would like to participate in HIDA’s legislative advocacy campaigns, please contact me at dibitetto@hida.org.