March 20, 2025
The Empire Club of Canada Presents
Here’s a Hot Flash: Women’s Health Matters. Period.
Chairperson: Jenna Donelson, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Moderator
Teri Hart, Journalist & TV Host
Panellists
Karli Farrow, President & CEO, Trillium Health Partners (THP)
Joanna Griffiths, Founder & President, Knix
Dr. Wendy Wolfman, Director, Menopause, and the Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Clinics at Mount Sinai Hospital
Head Table Guests
Tanya Moore, Senior Vice President, Healthcare Businesses, Shopper’s Drug Mart
Liza Vityuk, Partner, McKinsey & Company
Amy Ferguson, Vice-President, Business Development Group Benefits, Desjardins Insurance
[INTRODUCTORY VIDEO – SINAI WOMEN’S HEALTH]
Welcome Address by Jenna Donelson, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Good afternoon, everyone. What a powerful video, from Sinai Women’s Health. I’m Jenna Donelson, Chair of the Board of the Empire Club of Canada, and your host for today’s event.
To formally begin, I want to acknowledge that we are gathering on the Traditional and Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the homelands of the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples. I encourage you all to learn more about the Traditional Territory on which you live and work.
Today’s event would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. The Empire Club is a non-profit organization. Our sponsors support events like this, they make viewing complimentary for those of you that are online. So. Please join me, in thanking our Lead Sponsors, Shopper’s Drug Mart, and Desjardins Insurance. Thank you. Thank you, as well, to our VIP Reception Sponsor for today’s event, Owen’s McFadyen Group. We appreciate you. Thank you. And to our Supporting Sponsor for today, Lifespire. We appreciate your support. The Empire Club also deeply appreciates the ongoing support we get from our Lead Season Sponsors, Bruce Power, and Hydro One, and our VIP Reception Season Sponsors, Waste Connections of Canada, and Ellis Don. Thank you for your continued support. And finally, thank you to our Media Partner, the Toronto Star, and our AV Partner, Bespoke Audio Visual. Thank you.
If you have a question for our speakers, please scan the QR code that you’ll find on your program. If you’re online, use the Q&A function. For those of you that are are online, if you require technical assistance, use the chat feature, and our staff will be there to help you.
Well. I think the title of today’s event says it all: “Here’s a Hot Flash: Women’s Health Matters. Period.” Because the reality is that for far too long, women’s health has been under-researched, under-funded, and under-valued. Menstruation, perimenopause, and menopause, are all as normal as breathing. But to talk about things in very public forums, it starts to make some people very uncomfortable. But here’s the thing: not talking about women’s health issues can also be harmful—even if it’s well-intended, out of a misguided sense of decorum. Because, because we don’t talk about things like period poverty, some women’s participation in school and work can be limited. Perimenopause and menopause symptoms can force some women out of the workplace altogether. Women’s health is about equity, it’s about our economy, and it’s about empathy for half the population of Canada. So, it’s critical that in this important way, Canada continues to push forward, and make progress on these important issues.
Now, as I prepare for Empire Club events like this, I often research past speeches delivered at our podium, to see what people have said about the topic or issue, throughout our long history. You know what? There has not been one event in our 122-year history that mentions menstruation, until today. [Applause]. So, you could say this conversation is long overdue, and it will certainly be one for our books. So, let’s talk about how far we’ve come, how much further we need to go, and let’s consider some of the ways that we can drive meaningful change in women’s health.
One of the Lead Sponsors for today’s event is a company that’s been supporting meaningful conversations like this, Shopper’s Drug Mart. Through the Shopper’s Foundation for Women’s Health, they have pledged to invest $50-million by 2026, to improve access to care, advance research, and support initiatives that directly impact women’s lives. And their Menstrual Equity Partnerships are helping to ensure that period poverty doesn’t stand in the way of work, education, or daily life.
So, it’s now my pleasure to invite Tanya Moore, Senior Vice President of Healthcare Businesses from Shopper’s Drug Mart to the stage, to deliver welcome remarks. Join me, in welcoming Tanya.
Opening Remarks by Tanya Moore, Senior Vice President, Healthcare Businesses, Shopper’s Drug Mart
Good afternoon. Thank you so much for the introduction, Jenna, and thank you all for being here today, especially for our panellists and experts, dedicating their time to these vital conversations. I also want to thank the Empire Club of Canada, for bringing us together to amplify women’s health, a cause that is deeply important to us at Shoppers Drug Mart.
Through our business, and our charitable arm, the Shoppers Drug Mart Foundation for Women’s Health, we envision a future where care is equitable and accessible, empowering all women in Canada to lead healthier lives. Our efforts extend far beyond just traditional healthcare, taking into account all aspects of women’s health, including mental health, gender-based violence, as these are issues that are all intrinsically connected, oftentimes ignored, and this holistic view that drives our actions.
For example, just last month, we made a historic $10-million donation with the government of Manitoba to fund critical programs, directly benefiting children and families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirited people. This donation, with the Manitoba government’s support, will heal and empower the Healing and Empowering Fund, providing continual and accessible healing programs to affected families. We are committed to supporting every life stage of women’s health, from menstruation to menopause.
Considering these issues of menstruation, it’s shocking that 75% of young women still feel compelled to conceal their periods. This stigma tragically exacerbates another critical issue: one-in-five, one-in-five women in Canada lack access to basic menstrual products, forcing them to resort to unsafe alternatives, missing key life moments, including school and work. I’m proud to share that Shopper’s Drug Mart, and the Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health have partnered with four provinces across Canada, investing over $70 million in menstrual products to shelters, schools, and universities. [Applause]
And while we’re proud of the progress we’ve made to date, we know that there is still so much more work to be done. And this work includes supporting women throughout their menopause journey, by addressing the current gaps in care. Four-in-ten women find seeking medical advice for menopause unhelpful or insufficient, and feel that their symptoms were under-treated. We are leveraging our platform to raise awareness, and educate customers with evidence-based resources. We’re developing best-in-class training programs for our pharmacy teams across the country, to provide informed support, and collaborating with experts and organizations, to drive meaningful change in women’s health. This is an exciting and meaningful journey that we’re on, and I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to share our commitment with you today. I’m looking forward to continuing this important conversation, and working together to create a future where all women have access to the care that they need and deserve.
Jenna Donelson
Thank you, Tanya, for those remarks. Thank you for Shoppers’ ongoing support of women at all stages in their health, and for this event. It is now my pleasure to introduce our next speaker, Liza Vityuk, Partner at McKinsey & Company. Since she joined McKinsey in 2012, she has led major transformations for retailers, consumer goods companies, and direct-to-consumer brands. Liza is also a champion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, leading McKinsey Canada’s DEI committee, and overseeing initiatives that support more than 850 colleagues nationwide. Her insights into digital, analytics, and the role of business in shaping consumer health, make her an important part of today’s conversation. So, please join me, in welcoming Liza to the stage.
Liza Vityuk, Partner, McKinsey & Company
Jenna, thank you so much for having me, and thank you all for joining today. Women’s health is a topic that is a personal and professional passion of mine. It has the potential to have unparalleled impact on individuals, companies, and Canada as a country, and our productivity, making it a topic that is absolutely relevant to everyone.
In partnership with the World Economic Forum, McKinsey has published two extensive reports, to first build a fact base around what is women’s health gap, and second, to help stakeholders like yourself, to pave the path forward. Today, I’ll share a look at some of the most prevalent myths and root causes that we have found, through our research. And I will ground the discussion in the data that is relevant for Canada, our Canadian data.
So, let’s get started. The first and most common myth that we hear is that women live longer, so we must be healthier. That’s false. Canadian women spend 24% more time in debilitating health, compared to men. Second, this is a problem of frail old age, and it does not refer to us as working women—in reality, almost 60% of the gap appears in the timeframe between 20 and 60 years, which means that it has tremendous impact on earnings potential, as well as GDP. The Canadian GDP gap is $27 billion, and globally, it is a trillion dollar—or put it slightly differently, it is 3% increase in per capita GDP for a woman. So, third myth is that women’s health is all about women-specific conditions—what often is called “bikini health.” When in reality, nearly 5% of the gap is, and the vast majority are the conditions that affect women differently, disproportionately, or where we lack effective and efficient care in the treatments. And finally, the myth number four—and this one is the most puzzling to me—is women’s health is perceived as somehow this niche opportunity. For starters, we are 50% of the population, and actually, women are responsible for more than 80% of decisions on the healthcare span for their families. So, this is not a niche opportunity; this is just a systemic underinvestment. And in some ways, it stems from lack of data, and lack of representation of women health data, in a decision making.
So, four myths—and this is a science-based field, I remind you, so there are quite a lot of misconceptions—so, how did we end up here? How did we end up here as women, and as a country? So, for starters, there is a lack of understanding, when it comes to some basics of women biology. For a very long time, women were treated like small men. Women. Are. Not. Small. Men. [Applause] It’s simple. Beginning with clinical practice guidelines, less than 10% here in Canada meet global standards for evidence-based care for women. Only half of the treatments have sex-disaggregated data. And it has been less than 30 years that Canada mandated and required to have the sex-disaggregated data. And where the data exists, we actually see that women are often disadvantaged. So, the common treatments do not work as well on women, as they do on men. There are significant barriers in accessing the care. And even the definition of sex-appropriate care is not adequate.
So, women are undercounted. Just to make it very real—and Jenna mentioned menopause. Likely, every woman who is lucky enough to get to a certain age, we will experience the symptoms of menopause. But today, only one-in-five women are diagnosed. Which means these limitations, they inhibit the signals to both public and private markets. In Canada, 4% of all the health investment goes to women’s health. Despite all the data telling us that this is one of the biggest opportunities we have.
Well, and I assume that, in the room today, we have those who are believing in this opportunity creation. I have, actually, very good news for you: women’s health is a great investment. For every dollar we invest in women’s health, we get the return of three. And with over 20 million of women that live in Canada, this is a remarkable opportunity—I would say, maybe we can cover the tariffs with that. But beyond the numbers, just beyond the numbers, like imagine what this unleashed energy from all the healthy years that the women will live. Like, what opportunities it unlocks.
These women are not just in this room. They are everywhere. We also owe it to our children, and to the future generations, to actually solve it. And for those of you here today or listening in, we are the generation that can solve it. And we can solve the women’s health gap and pioneer it for the rest of the world here in Canada. Well, I encourage you to read the report, continue to advocate and raise awareness, come speak to me. And I’m so much looking forward to listening to our amazing women today, and how they are paving the path on the women’s health. So, thank you.
[VIDEO:]
We talk a lot about periods. Life begins with a missed period, and life gets serious with your first one. There’s the period that doesn’t come, and the one that comes back too soon. We talk a lot about periods, about our cycle. Every 28 days or so, decade after decade after—hold on. What is happening? You get hot, you get angry, you get horny, your brain gets foggy, your hair thins, your body changes, your period is heavy, your period is early, your period doesn’t come at all, you can’t sleep, you get lonely, you get all kinds of things. And you don’t know if it will ever end. We talk a lot about periods, but we don’t talk about this period. Can we talk about perimenopause?
[END OF VIDEO
Jenna Donelson
What a great, compelling video from Knix. And let’s thank Liza one more time, for that great presentation. Thank you, Liza. And now, it is time to hear from a group of experts who are leading the change in women’s health, from research and innovation to business and healthcare delivery. So, it’s my pleasure to invite them on the stage. First, I’d like to invite our moderator. You probably know Teri Hart from her years as a trusted entertainment reporter on The Movie Network, City News, Breakfast Television, and now as the face of Super Channel. Today, she’s going to help us navigate this essential conversation. Welcome, Teri.
I’m also delighted to welcome to the stage Dr. Wendy Wolfman. Dr. Wolfman is a leader in clinical gynecology, and a menopause researcher. She is the director of the Menopause Clinic and Premature Ovarian Failure Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital, and she is also a professor at the University of Toronto. And she co-chairs the Clinical Gynecology Practice Guidelines Committee for the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada. She makes sure that evidence-based care reaches the people who need it most. Welcome, Dr. Wolfman.
We are also joined by Joanna Griffiths, the founder and president of Knix, a brand that has revolutionized the intimate apparel industry, by pioneering leak-proof underwear. Joanna launched the company in 2013, and turned Knix into one of the fastest-growing companies in the category. As a best-selling author and a passionate advocate, she has helped transform conversations around menstruation, postpartum recovery, and menopause. Welcome, Joanna.
And finally, we are joined by Karli Farrow, the President and CEO of Trillium Health Partners, one of Canada’s largest hospital networks. She joined Trillium Health Partners in 2009, prior to the merger of Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre. She was a key leader through that merger, and became CEO just a few short years ago. Karli is a champion of expanding access to care, reducing wait times, and building a stronger, more sustainable healthcare system. Karli, we’re glad you’re here.
Our panel. Over to you, Teri.
Teri Hart, Journalist & TV Host
Thanks so much. Hi, everybody. So nice to see everybody’s shiny, happy faces here today, to have this conversation. I’ve talked to a few of you, who were here when I was moderating a panel, that also was groundbreaking for the Empire Club on fertility. And I’m thrilled to be back today, to talk about this very important issue—it seems I have a niche.
We’ve just passed the kind of three-quarter mark of Women’s History Month. And I think that we can all agree that historically, and as we saw in those slides from Liza, that women have been overlooked, and underrepresented in our research. And therefore, you know, we see those continually shocking numbers, for me—and I’m sure many in this room—about women’s health, and where we sit in the community. There is a gender health gap, and we saw that in the study from McKinsey. So, we have a lot of work to do, don’t we? And we’re seemingly just getting started. We heard this is the first one here; we’re going to have more, right? Where’s Kent? We’re going to have more about women’s health and women’s issues, here at the Empire Club?
So, I think that one of the things we all agree on is that we have to start first with representation and awareness. And I’m going to pose this first question to each one of you, if I can, and ask you how you think, in your worlds, that education, and awareness, and discussion about women’s health, will impact the space you’re in. I’m going to start with you at the end, Dr. Wolfman. Please. Your mic.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman,Director, Menopause, and the Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Clinics at Mount Sinai Hospital
Yeah. Right. Thank you very much, Teri. And thanks to the Empire Club of Canada, for inviting me to be part of this illustrious panel. And this is my passion. Really, I’m an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, and I identified this gap early on in my education. We concentrated on reproductive-aged women, and yet, every woman who lives long enough will go through menopause. And this is related to the fact that women are born with a certain number of eggs, and over their lifetime they are depleted, and cells around the egg produce hormones that are called estrogen. And so, around menopause, or the perimenopause, your computer that you have every month breaks down—so, women start having symptoms. And these symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep disruption, problems in the genital area—which, for a gynecologist, is a huge issue—and yet, we learned hardly anything in my residency about menopause. It’s like this is a secret. It’s like women don’t count, after they’re no longer reproductive. And I think this is actually true, in some societies. You get a new wife, when you’re no longer frisky and fertile.
So, I mean, hopefully, that conversation is changing. But I identified this early on in my practice. And because I was sort of a frustrated reproductive endocrinologist, I recognized that we studied a lot about puberty, and we studied hardly nothing on menopause, at the other end. And I thought this was a huge gap….
Teri Hart
It is the bookmark, right? Like, it is the bookmark.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Yes.
Teri Hart
We start creating hormones that allow us to begin menstruation, and we stop creating those hormones that stop us from menstruating.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Right. So. Remember that women now live 40% of their life after menopause.
Teri Hart
I need you to stop, and I need everybody to hear that again. Can you please repeat that, Dr. Wolfman?
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Yeah. Well, it depends how long you live, but—and no one knows, going forward. And that’s one of our other goals, is to improve the quality of life that women have, so that when they age, they live well.
Teri Hart
So, what’s the number? Like, on average?
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Thirty to forty percent, even sometimes fifty percent of a woman’s life is spent after menopause. And yet, in my training, and most family doctors, very little is said about that women’s stage of life. And I think the conversation is changing, in the last few years. And I think this is because of a number of things. I think we had a bit of an interest around the year 2000—and then you may remember, there was a study called the Women’s Health Initiative. And the way it was reported made it very scary for women to take hormone therapy. So, what happened is that all the physicians who were doing this stopped prescribing, but their patients did not stop having symptoms. And, you know, if women came into the physician with symptoms, people didn’t know how to manage it, or they trivialized it, or they ghosted women. And I think that women had—they didn’t know where to go, so they went to natural paths. And I think there’s been the rise of the internet, which unfortunately now, it’s almost being detrimental, in that the type of information that’s available is not reputable.
Teri Hart
M’hm (affirmative).
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
And I think there was the rise of FemTech, which is the interest in making money from women. And then, once that gets going, there’s a big resurgence in interest. But I think for physicians, one of the key things that’s changed was the 20-year results from the Women’s Health Initiative, that actually showed no more death from taking hormone therapy; that in the estrogen-alone group, there was less breast cancer, and in the women who….
Teri Hart
Can you just repeat? I think…
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Yeah.
Teri Hart
…for a lot of people of a certain age…
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Yeah.
Teri Hart
…that there is an idea that HRT, hormone replacement therapy—which now has a new name around it—but that you should not take that, that there is a significant increase in breast cancer from taking HRT. And if you’ve had anybody in your family, like, if your great-aunt had breast cancer, don’t take HRT, all this—and this was actually proven to be inaccurate 20 years after this study. I’ll let you continue.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Well, it’s not exactly inaccurate. It looks at, instead of pooling a whole group of people between the ages of 50 to 79, if you actually break down the group of women between 50 and 59, who are the women who are most symptomatic, actually, there are very few risks from taking hormone therapy. But we’re digressing.
Teri Hart
Yes.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
You asked me about…
Teri Hart
The way—how important it is to….
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
…the advocacy.
Teri Hart
Yeah.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
So, that is one of the things that caused the discussion to change, was the results of that study, which were very positive for women. And I think the other thing for physicians was the discovery of the physiology of why hot flashes occur. So, we now know that there are cells in the brain, and when there’s no estrogen there, that you have inappropriate stimulation of your thermostat—we, being mammals—and so, your brain is saying all the time, “Hot, hot, hot, make me cool, cool, cool.” And so, that is happening, and this is not a psychiatric condition—not that there’s anything wrong with psychiatric conditions—but this is actually a physiologic mechanism, which starts changing, even in the year before the last menstrual period. And we’ve also discovered now that there are a lot of metabolic, bone, heart changes that occur in that year before. So, I think the validation of that time of life as being important for physicians has changed the discussion.
So, because of that, and because women themselves became advocates—and for instance, we have the Menopause Foundation of Canada, which is an amazing organization, who are providing advocacy in this area, because they recognized that women were suffering, there was no place to go, there was no—lack of education, there was lack of support from the government, from medical societies, and I think that this discussion has changed.
So, I think for those reasons, that’s how I perceive, in my world, that the discussion has changed. Because I’ve worked in this area for so many years, banging my head against the wall, being disrespected by what I did. And I am so, really, I feel so blessed, to have the discussion change.
Teri Hart
Yes. Have the discussion change. Full transparency: Dr. Wolfman is my doctor, I am in the Menopause Clinic at Mount Sinai, and the woman changed my life, with my HRT patch that I have on right now. And the other woman who has also changed my life is Joanna, who created Knix, that allowed me to wear underwear that allowed me to continue doing my job, when I was doing television daily—literally, allowed me to do that. Joanna is here today—usually, if somebody is unable to attend, I say they’re here in spirit. Joanna is here in body, and spirit, and without a voice, because she has laryngitis.
Joanna Griffiths, Founder & President, Knix
I’m going to do my best.
Teri Hart
Because—and I have to say it’s perfect, because, wouldn’t we say, like, this is what women do? We show up, no matter what. We saw that video that Knix produced around this period in our lives, and you have been a trailblazer around advocacy for women’s health issues—not just period underwear, this is women’s health; we hear about period poverty. I know you don’t have much of a voice. So, in your time, how you’ve seen things change, why do you think these kinds of conversations and transparency are important?
Joanna Griffiths
Yeah, I’ll do my best. Thank you, Teri. So, when I started Knix, and working on Knix in 2011, I learned that on average, women waited seven years to talk about their pelvic floor issues and challenges with a doctor—and I don’t know if you feel that is true or not, but there is so much shame and stigma around these topics that people would suffer in silence, and not talk about it. And so, for us at Knix, handling products that manage, you know, discharge, pee, periods, we always felt like it was our job to use our voice and platform to help open the conversation that people weren’t really having, and to make people feel seen, welcome, and respected, so that they could have the confidence to know they’re not alone, and that they could have the confidence to then go and talk to someone about what it is that they’re experiencing.
And so, you know, it’s been an interesting transition. I remember 2015, Time Magazine called it “The Year of the Period. 2015.” We’ve been having periods since the dawn of time, but 2015 was the year….
Teri Hart
Year of the Period.
Joanna Griffiths
You know, just to give one, one anecdote. And this, you kind of have seen this shift and changes—when we did our Fertility, Faces of Fertility campaign, there were less than 150 hashtag uses around fertility on social media. And so, we know one-in-six people experience fertility challenges, and yet no one was talking about it. And so, we’ve always viewed that we’re in such a fortunate position, where we get to use our marketing dollars to put the messages on the side of a bus, or a billboard, that I really wish I saw growing up, and got to experience.
But I do think there’s a change. I think, I think we’re frustrated, you know—and you know, don’t get a woman mad, because we’ll try to get even. And I think we’re finally talking about things. I think what Dr. Wolfman was talking about, about aging, I think we’re tired of feeling like we don’t exist, when we enter a certain era in our lives. I think we’re tired of feeling like we have an expiry date. And we want to be healthy, and we want to be happy, and we want to be seen and respected. So, what I see is more and more women speaking up, less shame, less stigma, and more people advocating for their health, and for what it is that they want.
Teri Hart
Yes. All of It. Karli, you are the person who is on the front lines with those frustrated women, with women who are coming to you, and saying, “What are you doing for me?” So, how do these conversations allow you to learn what to do for patients at Trillium Healthcare, and how that changes what you do, how you do what you do?
Karli Farrow,President & CEO, Trillium Health Partners (THP)
Thank you. And thanks to everybody, for being here. It’s, it’s actually amazing, and a bit profound, to look out over an audience of so many people, and to think about this being the point in time—not unlike the 2015 Year of Periods—that this is the point in time at the Empire Club, where we’re talking about menstruation for the first time.
So, just to maybe take a step back, Trillium Health Partners, we are a regional specialized centre, that serves one of the most diverse populations on earth. We have about 1.7 million patient visits per year. We provide end-to-end care for the acute, post-acute, rehab system, in Mississauga and West Toronto—but our entire catchment, where we serve specialized care, is over 2 million people. And when we were established as an organization in 2011, it was very clear to us, in a high-growth part of our country, that healthcare fundamentally needed to change. And you may have….
Teri Hart
What year was this?
Karli Farrow
2011.
Teri Hart
Thank you.
Karli Farrow
Yeah. And….
Teri Hart
Just we you understand the….
Karli Farrow
Yeah. You know, you may have heard that we don’t have enough hospital care, in this country; this has been true in our high-growth parts of the country for some time. And so, what, what our organization has fundamentally put at the core of its mission from the very beginning is that healthcare fundamentally has to be about people, and people’s needs. And while that seems like the most obvious thing to say, what we’re here talking about right now is actually a symptom of a healthcare system that has never really been designed for people, but rather illness, symptom, etc. And so, when we—core to our mission is understanding the health of a community. Hospitals play a fundamentally important role in the Canadian healthcare system, to impact the health of the community, with partners, in primary care, in home care, community agencies, schools, businesses. And so, when we think about how to change the healthcare system to focus on people, it was very, very obvious to us that starting with women, as a population, would be very important.
So, we announced a few years ago that our hospital is, we’re embarking on Canada’s largest healthcare infrastructure set of projects to address the growth in the large 905 Region, that we would have a specially dedicated hospital for women and children. And so, last year we were able to announce the Shaw Family Hospital for Women and Children. And this signifies for us [Applause]—exactly. It’s a really big deal, and it’s a part of an interconnected system of care, but that puts a stake in the ground, to say women’s health requires a different focus at this time. And through the course of our discussion, we can all highlight examples of where that hasn’t happened, and to the point earlier made, the profound impact that it will have on the health of community, the health of our economy, the strength of the entire country.
So, for us, this moment of talking about the incredible initiatives, the company that Joanna runs, the work that Wendy is doing, which is groundbreaking, signifies a moment where healthcare can actually shift into a fundamentally different way, that keeps us healthy, keeps us focused on our many needs—there’s not just one part of us as humans. But it really does go back to the fundamental, when you think about care for women, that we actually missed the starting point in the first place. And so, there is much veiled within a healthcare system not designed for people, not designed for women, that we now need to push away, and start lifting up.
Teri Hart
A few things that I want to take out of that: A, you know, we are not mini men, we are not just small men; B, the idea that women were not even included in research healthcare studies until, what was it, 1996? Something like that? So, no wonder we didn’t know about that part of our brain that is like, “Cool me down, cool me down.” And Dr. Wolfman, the thing that always sticks with me—because it’s just so huge to imagine that we spend, you know, 30 to 40% of our life post-menopause; that is such a huge amount of our life. And if you can just drill down a little bit on that, and talk about what are the misunderstandings of this time for women in our lives, and why do we need to, why do we need to understand it? What do we need to change the narrative around this veiled idea of perimenopause, and then post-menopause?
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Right. So, I think the symptoms that women experience are trivial, and they will go away—“there, there, dear, it will get better.” But actually, we now know that the average time that the symptoms last is 7 years to 10 years; 40% of women still have symptoms into their 60’s, and 10 to 15% of women have them into their 70’s. If you look at all women, 70 to 80% of women have symptoms around menopause, 20% to 30%, depending on the study you read, they are severe. What does that mean? It means that they impact the ability to function from day to day. So. I think that’s a myth, that these are trivial symptoms.
And I think that the other thing is that this is, it is a natural time of life, but I think people don’t realize that there are a lot of changes occurring, even in the year before. And that is an increase in the risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension—or high blood pressure—changes in lipids, acceleration of bone loss, that occur, that are silent, that people are unaware of.
So, for instance, one thing that I think is very important is to identify a women’s health thorough examination around menopause, to identify health risks that can be improved, in order to improve a woman’s quality of life…
Teri Hart
I can’t tell you [Indiscernible].
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
…as well as her symptoms, as she ages.
Teri Hart
So, do you have, has the study—is your dream, does it include a date? Like, women should, this test should be created to include, as I understand it, a bone density test, all kinds of functionality in our body. Is there a perfect age to do that? And before that test arrives, is there something that we can be asking our family doctors to test for us?
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
So, it’s not a matter of testing; it’s a matter of individualized care. It’s doing a very good history and physical examination, identifying risk factors for inherited cancer, inherited cardiovascular disease, lifestyle that a woman may be following, smoking, like, getting to really a holistic look at that woman, and seeing what areas need to be delved in, and how we can, for instance, follow the American Heart Association Eight Healthy Heart Habits, which have been associated with reduction in cardiovascular disease, which is a major killer of women—and yet, everybody accepts that. “Oh, I’m going to die, and I’m going to get a heart problem.” Like, women accept that. And even when they get symptoms, they trivialize them. So….
Teri Hart
I think women also accept that, you know, I’m going to feel crap for seven to ten years…
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Right.
Teri Hart
…because of peri-menopause…
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Right.
Teri Hart
…into menopause.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Right. So, the goal is that we all live relatively symptom-free—we can’t cure everything…
Teri Hart
M’hm (affirmative).
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
…and so that we are able to be more functional, we are able to utilize all the gifts that we have acquired during our lifetime. Remember that, of the women that have severe symptoms, 10% will quit their jobs; that’s a huge weight on the Canadian economy, it’s a huge issue for the woman herself, and disappointment for herself, her partner, her family, and our country, and our economy, and our workplace. So, this is so important, in so many ways, and I think we have opportunities. And I just like to say that our hospital identified this as an important area for women’s health….
Teri Hart
Can you just mention that win?
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
Yeah.
Teri Hart
Just mention that win.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
So, we have raised 51 million dollars in two-and-a-half years towards a mature women’s health centre.
[Applause]
Teri Hart
That’s a big win. That, that—when people are putting money towards this, we know the tide is changing. I do want to get to some questions, so I’m being cautious of time, or aware of time. So, I’m just going to, I want to throw another question out to all of you, again. And Joanna, I’m going to start with you, because you each do represent such a crucial aspect in healthcare for women. What is the biggest change you’d like to see in this sector?
Joanna Griffiths
Yeah, it’s a great question. I mean, I’m sure that the other two panellists have better insights than me, but I really do believe we need to see more research. And I think the numbers that are coming out are staggering, about how little money and resources are going towards women’s health, going towards women’s research. And I just, I think that there is such a long way to go there, and we need to make it be extremely important. And then I think there’s an onus on the private sector side of things, to really continue to champion women’s health, to continue to celebrate women of all ages, and to continue to support the important work that’s taking place within the sector.
Teri Hart
Awesome. Karli?
Karli Farrow
You know, just listening to Joanna, just to appreciate the healthcare system that we have today—if you imagine coming back from spring break, many of us imagine walking into a bathing suit store, and only to find that every single bathing suit was made for—I’ll make it up—my husband. And so, you’re wondering…
Joanna Griffiths
Why your husband, probably.
Karli Farrow
Right. Exactly. And you say to the clerk, “Excuse me, like, are there any bathing suits with tops, or that would fit my body type?” And they’re like, “That is very complicated, and that’s not what we’ve done.” So, we have one type, and it’s—in the case of my husband, a white male, Caucasian, you know, 5’11”. So, we are dealing with a system like this, and we have, if you think about premature, causes of premature death amongst women, cardiac health, cancer—in cardiac health, let’s absorb this statistic: after heart attack, death is 50% higher for women. This is a very, very…
Joanna Griffiths
Well, we, we….
Karli Farrow
…big deal.
Joanna Griffiths
Just, if I may….
Karli Farrow
Yes. Totally.
Joanna Griffiths
My best friend had a heart attack at the age of 39. She was the healthiest person I knew, and she almost died, because she didn’t know what a heart attack looked like in women. And it presents itself very differently.
Karli Farrow
Absolutely.
Joanna Griffiths
And that is the awareness—there’s awareness issues here, as well.
Karli Farrow
Yeah.
Joanna Griffiths
She got in her car, and drove on the Gardner Expressway mid-heart attack, and…
Karli Farrow
It, it….
Joanna Griffiths
…because we don’t know.
Karli Farrow
Unbelievably so. So. I think for, from my perspective, Teri, the need to actually say we will put a stake in the ground that this is about women’s health, from research, effective treatment, preventative models, representation within the system, as we have made a decision, as the incredible work that’s happening at Sinai under Dr. Wolfman’s leadership—it can’t be understated how incredibly vast the opportunity is here. And you know, there was a recent study last year in The Lancet, for women’s health, and if you look at cancer, 2.3 million premature deaths, and estimated that 1.5 million could be prevented. So, these are dramatic numbers. And what that study also found, globally, is that women have less access to knowledge to prevent; women are more likely to have catastrophic financial impact. So, if they are, if they experience a cancer, these are really, really profound realities, that sit below that veil that we describe, when we have a system that’s not designed for people. And for women—half the population—we are sitting with this information, and it needs to come into the light of day how we plan at a policy level in government, how at a system level we organize, how we empower our clinicians, philanthropy is geared towards this. I really can’t pick one thing, because I can’t understate—I can’t overstate the incredible opportunity, but also need to highlight this area of health.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
And also education.
JF
Education.
Karli Farrow
Absolutely.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
So, even from high school, or even for elementary school, to make this a normal part…
Joanna Griffiths
Yeah.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
…to discuss, and then all through many different disciplines. To discuss pharmacy, for instance…
Karli Farrow
Yeah.
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
…this needs to be a part of the curriculum in many different disciplines at the university, and the undergraduate level, and the postgraduate level.
QUESTION & ANSWER
Teri Hart
M’hm (affirmative). I see a lot of people who I would identify as women in the room, and not as many men. And one of the things I would like to change is that these are not just women’s issues, these are community, family, human being issues. So, I would also like to see, the next time we do this at Empire Club, the same number of men in the room as women. I’m going to get a couple questions in, let’s—because, you know, time—so, we’ll be quick with these…
Karli Farrow
Yeah.
Teri Hart
…so we can get a couple in. I’m going to do this one to you, Karli. What advice would you give to a woman who does not have a primary healthcare provider? Where do they go to—where do they go for support?
Karli Farrow
Oh, great question. So. I think that this is one of the areas where I will just say there’s a reason why hospitals play an important role in the system. We are the 24-by-7, guaranteed to be there for you. There’s a couple hospitals represented on this stage today that you can walk into any door, and be pointed to access to services that are going to help support you, and that’s a starting point. I think there’s a lot of work that is happening right now to improve primary care in our province, and that is going to take some time. But you also can start with the incredible work that’s happening at places like pharmacies. So, the work that is happening in places, big pharmacy chains like Shopper’s Drug Mart, or your local pharmacy, you know, really starting to move into this space of, of understanding where you can access services more.
I just want to say one last shout out: in our, in the city that we represent, in the communities we represent, there are many community agencies very, very committed to health equity for women, and particularly, in our diverse communities. We do a lot of work and outreach with communities that represent the Black, Caribbean, our South Asian community, and the work then you can create these strong bonds between big healthcare providers like us, and communities on the ground, in neighbourhoods, who can more closely link with the needs of the population. And we’ve seen incredible results, including some results I just got this morning; those partnerships have led to an increase in our equity-deserving communities in getting mammograms. So…
Teri Hart
Wow.
Karli Farrow
…that’s the kind of partnership we need to see.
Teri Hart
I’ll tell you a story after this…
Karli Farrow
Okay.
Teri Hart
…you and I. I’m going to ask one more question, I know we have to go. The questions have been so thoughtful, and so interesting—and Kent, we’re going to have a conversation about some of these questions; maybe we can address them in some way online, because they’re really, really thoughtful, and I am sure all three of you would like an opportunity to respond to these. But Dr. Wolfman, a question that is just teed right up for you, my friend: I’ve been told HRT is only indicated—I think she probably means prescribed—for hot flashes. How close are we looking at therapeutic treatments for all the other symptoms?
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
So, buyer beware, again: HRT is not the panacea for every symptom, and not every symptom is due to menopause. So, it’s an individual prescription, if at the proper age, and a woman has no contraindication, it is the first-line treatment for validated symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, night sweats. For the changes in the vagina, and vulva, and bladder, local therapies are the recommended treatment. For other symptoms that are specifically around menopause, we will often use some hormone therapy, but it is not the panacea for every symptom.
Teri Hart
Nope. Nor should anything be…
Dr. Wendy Wolfman
No.
Teri Hart
…because we are not one thing; we are complex things. We are not little men; we are women—I just, I’m going to cross-stitch it, like, it’s going to be so, it’s going to be everywhere. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was, when they reached out to me, when the Empire Club of Canada reached out to me and said, “So, we’re thinking about this. Are you interested?” And I said, “Am I interested?” I am so grateful to these three incredible women, who have been blazing trails—whether you’ve seen it or not, it has impacted your life, what each one of these women have been doing in their professions. They, we would not be where we are at without Dr. Wolfman, Joanna and Karli. Thank you so much. I’m sorry I didn’t get to more questions—I’m sure you know why; they were all just so good. My name is Teri Hart. I can’t thank you enough, and we look forward to the next one.
Jenna Donelson
Thank you again to our panel. Let’s give them one more round of applause. That was fantastic. Thank you. We appreciate that substantive, informative conversation, and I just want to echo you, Teri: thank you for the work you’ve done to trailblaze for Women’s Health. Before we finish up today, I’d like to acknowledge our other Lead Sponsor, Desjardins Insurance, for their commitment to women’s health. Through initiatives like their Women’s Health Focus, Desjardins offers comprehensive group benefit plans, that address unique health challenges that women face, from reproductive care, to menopause management. They also became a founding partner of AFC Toronto, the city’s first professional women’s soccer club, underscoring their dedication to promoting women’s sports. So, I’m delighted that we have Amy Ferguson, Vice President of Business Development Group Benefits, here to deliver remarks. Welcome, Amy.
Note of Appreciation by Amy Ferguson, Vice-President, Business Development Group Benefits, Desjardins Insurance
Hello, everyone. So, before I begin with my conclusion, I just want to thank our sponsors. I’m going to step over, so I can see you—our panellists. Teri, you asked all the questions we’ve all been thinking of, so thank you for being our voice today. It was phenomenal. Karli and Dr. Wolfman, thank you. The work you’re doing is what’s going to propel us forward; the research you’re initiating, what your hospitals are doing, and our other hospitals in Ontario, thank you. We wouldn’t have this growth in this industry, in this environment, if it weren’t for people like you, so we appreciate everything you’re doing. And Joanna, I can’t see you out there, but I just want to say, I love your brand; I’ve been a loyal customer for almost ten years—and you’ve gotten rid of the stigma for our children, our teenagers, who have been so nervous to talk about periods. So, what you have done is amazing. So, thank you. And as a woman-led business in Canada, we love it.
So, thank you, everyone, for today. I just wanted to take a few minutes to, to conclude what we’ve seen here. We’ve made some great progress—I know we’re all disappointed by we’re not quite where we need to be yet, but we’ve made this incredible progress so far, because of some of our, our panellists today, and we’ve had some advancements in the research and, and advocacy. What we really need to do, though, is we need to continue this journey. We, we have a lot of challenges that we still need to address, and really the biggest one is that disparity in healthcare. We’ve talked about the access, but even, you know, we’re not small men—Liza from McKinsey, thank you; if anyone hasn’t read what they’ve produced, please go and read it. I was speaking with one of my colleagues—I’m going to send you the link. I loved what you guys wrote, and the work that McKinsey has done on that, so as an aside, thank you very much.
I think that we, as insurance carriers, we also have a responsibility in this journey. It’s our responsibility to ensure that we are trying to build the right kinds of products and services to support Canadians, but specifically, to support women, and the employers that are trying to ensure that women are at work, feeling healthy, feeling secure enough to go to work. And so, we are very proud, at Desjardins, that we have spent some time building out some of our focus, so that we can deliver it to our customers, in terms of support for the employers on how to support women at work, and also, with some of our services, in terms of making sure that you’ve got the coverage that you need, working within our Canadian healthcare system, so that women can live very successful lives, and make it to work—like we talked about many women leaving work because of menopause and perimenopause; that should never be happening. And so, we have an obligation, and we’re proud to be part of those discussions.
So, I want to just thank you for today—I think that Jenna is coming back up. But thank you very much, and we look forward to the next Women’s Health-focused event, here at the Empire Club. Have a great day.
Concluding Remarks by Jenna Donelson
Thank you, Amy, for those great remarks, and for your support of this event. Thank you again to our panellists, our sponsors, of course, to all of you for joining us. I also just want to recognize a special group in the room. We have our students and our young leaders here. We have students from Queen’s, we have students from TMU. We’re so glad you’re here for this conversation. Thank you.
If you would like to stay connected to us, please subscribe to our newsletter, by scanning the QR code that you will find on your table. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our membership booth. You will recall that we had a Poppy Barley bag up for grabs today, and the winner is Irina from Inner Flame Movement—I think you are at table 16—please head to the registration desk, to collect your prize.
And I hope all of you will join us for two exciting upcoming events that we have on March 26th: Laura Stone will be in discussion with Kory Teneycke, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, and Kathleen Monk, to talk about the competitive federal election we have on the horizon. We’ve also got David Colletto, Chair and CEO of Abacus Data, who’s providing some special remarks, and briefing us on some important polling decision around the mood of the Canadian electorate.
On April 23rd, we will also feature an event on the different approaches to longevity. Dr. Kashif Irshad, Lifespire’s Medical Director and Co-Founder, will join Dr. Samir Sinha, to speak about the science of aging and longevity. And to round out that conversation, Alex Besharat, Executive Vice President of Canadian Wealth Management at Scotia Wealth Management, will speak to how living longer could impact your personal approach to financial planning. Tickets for both events are on sale now.
As a club of record, all Empire Club events are available to watch and listen to on our website. A recording of this event will be available shortly—I will also mention that our team told me that we have hundreds of people online today watching, so the conversation extended well beyond this room. Thank you for being a part of this important conversation. I wish you all a wonderful afternoon ahead. This meeting is now adjourned.
