From overseeing Allina Health’s birth centers to the gynecology department and the Mother Baby Center, Dr. Indy Lane has a full plate of work entering her role as vice president of women’s health.

Lane, who came to Allina Health in July from Community Health Network in Indianapolis, has worked as an obstetrician-gynecologist and physician executive of the women’s service line. Under her leadership, the Community Health Network developed a network-wide enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) care pathway for women undergoing benign hysterectomies. Dr. Lane also worked to create an Intimacy Clinic to focus on menopause, pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction related to menopause or cancer treatment.

Lane shared her goals with TCB in a written interview as she settles into the role, a first for Allina Health.

What are your priorities entering this position? 

Women’s health goes far beyond pregnancy and childbirth. While the birth of a baby is typically an important and memorable part of a woman’s life, it is critical providers are also focused on the many stages and conditions women are faced with throughout their lives. In addition to preventative health and cancer screenings for women, I would like to work on improving care pathways for conditions such as pelvic pain/endometriosis, pelvic floor dysfunction, women’s cardiac health, mental health, menopausal wellness, and bone health to support women at all stages of their lives.

Being new to Allina Health as an officer, how do you connect with other leaders and bring together women’s health departments? 

In order to provide high-quality, expert care at Allina Health, care teams in the Women’s Health service line must continue to collaborate with our primary care, mental health, cardiology, oncology, and neuroscience partners as Women’s Health intersects all those specialties. Together we must identify what our focus areas should be and then develop a plan to ensure a smooth transition from a primary care provider or Women’s Health provider to a cardiologist or an oncologist.

Why is reducing racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality a priority for you, and what are the first steps? 

It is tragic Black women and infants die two to three times more often than their white counterparts. Everyone regardless of their race, religion, or ethnic background should expect high-quality health care when they are in a provider’s office or hospital. Much of what needs to change requires listening to and understanding what is important to women in the communities we serve. We must build and earn trust of women by developing a framework for shared decision making that supports women participating in their care. We need to leverage trusted community leaders to build better relationships and partnerships. There is an important role for partnering with certified nurse midwives, birth doulas, and community health advocates. Lastly, incorporating culturally competent care in all the work we do is critical.

Hospitals have been reporting more financial stress in the last year, including Allina Health. How does this impact women’s health departments at Allina?

Everyone in health care is challenged with eliminating waste, consolidating services, and looking at resource allocation differently to remain financially viable while still providing high-quality health care. In addition, a significant physician and nursing shortage along with declining birth rates have made the ability to staff and maintain provider offices and maternity units in more rural communities challenging, not only in Minnesota, but across the country. Ensuring women get high quality and safe care close to home is one of the greatest hurdles in the current financial environment. The good news is the providers at Midwest Perinatal Physicians are leveraging both technology and partnerships to expand high-risk pregnancy care to underserved areas. In places where we have had to close maternity units, we have to look at how we can leverage care teams that include physicians and [advanced practice providers] along with technology to reach women in more areas.

Coming to Minnesota after your previous position in a state that does not allow abortion past 10 weeks, how does the approach for women’s health change? 

It is certainly a relief to know women have a full range of options related to their reproductive health care needs. Such freedom ensures that providers of women’s health can deliver the safest and highest quality care to all their patients. This is even more critical when you consider the disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes for women in this country. Those complex care management decisions should be left to the woman and her trusted health care provider.