Navigating the Healthcare Maze: How Women 40+ Can Access, Advocate & Thrive

Join us for the fall 2025 event of the Lexington Women's Health Speaker Series, where we’ll dive deep into how to best navigate today’s healthcare maze as a woman over 40.

You’ll gain the tools and confidence to advocate for yourself, understand your options, and make smart decisions when it comes to your health and the health of other aging women in your life.

You’ll walk away with tangible takeaways, including:

• What to expect (and ask for) from your healthcare providers as a midlife woman
• How to maximize free support and resources already available to you
• What to do when insurance denies coverage—and strategies to appeal
• How to access healthcare beyond insurance, including private pay options
• Real-world tips for cutting through the red tape and putting yourself first

This engaging panel discussion will feature talks from expert speakers followed by a Q&A session.

Who This Event Is For

This event is designed for women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who are navigating midlife and finding the healthcare system increasingly confusing, frustrating, or overwhelming.

The Struggles We’ll Address

Many midlife women share the same challenges:

• Insurance roadblocks: Denials, coverage gaps, and unexpected out-of-pocket costs.
• Limited time with providers: Feeling rushed, dismissed, or unheard in medical visits.
• Complex systems: Not knowing where to turn, what resources exist, or how to make sense of all the options.
• Access to care: Long wait times for specialists, difficulty getting referrals, or uncertainty about next steps.
• Hidden opportunities: Missing out on free or underutilized resources that could make care more affordable and effective.

This event is for women who are ready to stop feeling powerless and start gaining the knowledge, tools, and strategies to confidently advocate for themselves, maximize available resources, and even explore alternatives like private pay care when necessary.

Our Mission: The Lexington Women's Health Speaker Series aims to empower midlife women on their health & wellness journey by connecting them with innovative local experts, sharing evidence-based insights, and fostering a strong community of support.

About the speakers:

Dr. Amy Boutwell, Founder, Collaborative Healthcare Strategies & Amy Boutwell MD

Dr. Boutwell is the Founder and President of Collaborative Healthcare Strategies, a firm dedicated to designing and leading healthcare delivery transformation efforts nationally. Dr. Boutwell is a national expert in reducing avoidable hospitalizations, hospital readmissions and in transforming care across settings for the most complex and high needs patient populations. Working at the intersection of excellence in clinical medicine, system engineering, and public policy, Dr Boutwell has led over 1000 healthcare teams, 10,000 health and human services professionals in improvement initiatives in all 50 states. Dr. Boutwell is a practicing physician who trained in internal medicine at MGH and took care of patients on the inpatient medicine service at MGH and Newton Wellesley Hospitals for 20 years and retired from hospital medicine to start Amy Boutwell MD, a private-pay medicine practice focused on midlife health, women’s health and complex care, to provide personalized, accessible, un-rushed attention to her patients.

Wei Wong, Director, Takeda’s U.S. Plasma-Derived Therapies Business Unit

Wei Ming Wong, MBA, is an accomplished biotechnology and pharmaceutical leader with more than 16 years of experience across marketing, analytics, and finance functions. Currently serving as Access Marketing Lead, Director at Takeda’s U.S. Plasma-Derived Therapies Business Unit, she oversees access marketing, patient support, and channel strategies to improve outcomes for patients living with rare diseases. Her leadership has been recognized with multiple One Takeda Corporate Awards, reflecting her ability to unite cross-functional teams, influence without authority, and deliver results in complex organizational ecosystems. Recognized with multiple corporate awards, Wei is also an advocate for inclusive leadership and talent development.

Dianne Savastano, Founder & Principal, Healthassist

Dianne is the Founder and Principal of Healthassist, a Massachusetts-based company founded in 2004 that specializes in helping clients navigate the complexities of the healthcare and insurance system. Beginning as a registered nurse providing direct patient care, Dianne’s 30-year career includes roles as a hospital, insurance, and employee benefits executive and as a management consultant. Her experience has taught her to ensure that the healthcare consumer is at the center of the healthcare equation. A frequent, sought-after speaker, Dianne has delivered programs covering a wide range of critical healthcare-related topics covering patient advocacy, Medicare choices, healthcare reform and more.

Catherine Walter (Your Host) NBC-HWC, Midlife Women’s Hormone Health Coach & Founder, Lexington Women's Health Speaker Series

Catherine is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach who helps women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s navigate the challenges of perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. Drawing from both her professional coaching experience and her personal journey of navigating the healthcare system — including turning to private pay care when insurance fell short — Catherine brings a unique perspective that blends practical guidance with lived experience. Her mission is to empower women to advocate for themselves, explore their options with confidence, and prioritize their health even when the system feels overwhelming.

Info: What to Expect From Your Providers: Taking the Guesswork Out of Midlife Healthcare / Breaking the Silence, Bridging the Gap: Menopause & Coverage / Cracking the Code: How to Navigate Insurance Barriers and Get the Care You Need / Investing in Your Health: How to Use Private Pay as a Tool, Not a Setback

Host or Publisher Catherine Walter