The HealthCare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ) held a forum titled “HERHealth: Advancing Women’s Care from Motherhood to Menopause” in Trenton on September 26, 2025. The event was organized with support from Rowan University, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, Rutgers-Camden School of Nursing, Bayer, and Middlesex County.
The seminar focused on the life sciences sector’s efforts to address women’s health needs and develop new treatments. HINJ brought together representatives from government, industry, academia, and patient advocacy groups to discuss ways to reduce barriers to care and respond to unmet medical needs for women.
Key speakers included Sarah Adelman, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services; Carol Murphy, Chairwoman of the Assembly Health Committee; and Lisa Asare, President and Chief Executive Officer of the NJ Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority.
Sarah Adelman stated, “Good public policy relies on stories, data, and information that reflects all affected individuals, but historically we have made decisions based on the lives and studies of men alone. When half of the population is underrepresented, no one has a full picture of how to keep our families and communities healthy. It takes a concerted effort in the public, private, and nonprofit spaces to thoughtfully change how we strengthen access to quality care for all. Together, we can ensure that prioritizing women’s health — through policy, research funding, and increasing awareness — is not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do.”
Assemblywoman Carol Murphy said: “I am proud of New Jersey’s leadership on women’s health – both from a public policy perspective and from our innovation economy and private company activities as we work to address the unmet medical needs confronting women in our state, our country and around the world. As today’s forum demonstrated, it takes collaborations among multiple stakeholders – legislators, academia, private industry, and most importantly, the patient community – to continue advancing women’s health. I’m grateful to have such strong allies in this work, and gratified that New Jersey continues to serve as a global leader in this important area.”
Lisa Asare added: “I am grateful for this forum and today’s conversation among so many dedicated stakeholders working to improve the critical care women need—especially as they enter motherhood. New Jersey’s moms and babies benefit greatly from the partnerships, policies, and innovations highlighted today. The Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority remains steadfast in collaborating with community and industry leaders to ensure that New Jersey becomes the safest and most equitable state in the nation to give birth and raise a child.”
Chrissy Buteas, President and Chief Executive Officer of HINJ commented: “The mission of New Jersey’s life sciences is to discover life-saving treatments and cures for patients around the world. These pharmaceutical and medical technology companies have historically led the way in advancing women’s health, and we continue to raise awareness through community events like these about the critical importance of investing even more thought, science, and resources into this vital area. We are grateful to the state and community leaders, patient advocates, academic researchers, clinicians, and industry partners here today who work so diligently to keep driving progress in medical care for women worldwide. We’re especially proud of how their efforts contribute to New Jersey’s reputation as ‘The Medicine Chest of the World.’”
The forum featured three panel discussions focusing on reproductive health innovation; menopause therapies; digital tools for midlife health; stigma reduction; investment strategies; as well as collaboration between sectors.
