EP 38: Designing Childbirth | Neel Shah

Design Lab with Bon Ku

Dr. Neel Shah, MD, MPP is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School (part-time), and Chief Medical Officer of Maven Clinic, the largest virtual clinic for women's and family health. As an obstetrician-gynecologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Neel cares for patients at critical life moments that range from childbirth to primary care to surgery. As a scientist and social entrepreneur, he is a globally recognized expert in designing solutions that improve health care, and is listed among the "40 smartest people in health care" by the Becker's Hospital Review. His work to build equitable, trustworthy systems of care has been profiled by the New York Times, CNN, and other outlets, and is featured in a forthcoming documentary produced by Oprah Winfrey and Yance Ford. He has written more than 50 peer-reviewed academic papers and contributed to four books. Prior to joining the Harvard faculty, Neel founded Costs of Care, an NGO that curates insights from clinicians and patients to help delivery systems provide better care. In 2017, he co-founded the March for Moms Association, a coalition of more than 20 leading organizations, to increase public and private investment in the wellbeing of mothers. Neel serves on the national advisory board of the Office of Women's Health Research at the National Institutes of Health, and as founding director and senior advisor to the Delivery Decisions Initiative at Ariadne Labs. Bon and Neel talk about why so many women in the U.S. die in childbirth, affirming dignity in healthcare, and Neel’s mission on redesigning childbirth.