Jennifer Newell, founder and CEO of Betty’s Co., is on a mission to transform women’s healthcare.
What was the Catalyst that inspired Betty’s Co?
“Bettys really is this perfect combination of two facets of my life. When I was 17 years old, I was diagnosed with a condition called premature ovarian failure. This condition causes infertility. I never started a period, and I was thrust into this new world of women’s health care as a person who cannot become pregnant but is a high user and has a high need for these services. Unfortunately, my experiences were predominantly negative. Through that, I was able to learn how to advocate for myself as a patient. 17 I was diagnosed. Fast forward five years and I stumbled into a career in health care. In 2017 a light bulb went off and it said women’s health has not changed. I did research and I found this really, really big and obvious gap in how we as health care providers, you know, serve younger women, maybe how we don’t or weren’t serving younger women well. The system hadn’t changed in the last 20 years. That is when I decided, you know what, I have a unique set of both professional and personal experiences that I can apply to create a solution here.”
In early 2017, Jennifer launched Betty’s Co. to fill a significant gap in young women’s healthcare, focusing on providing comprehensive care from the first period to pregnancy planning.
How is Betty’s Co. transforming healthcare?
“We kind of sit in between pediatrics and pregnancy care providing gynecology, mental health, and wellness services. What really makes us awesome is our ability to meet our customers where they are. We have nurse practitioners, physician assistants, counselors on staff, all who are overseen by an OBGYN or medical director. We don’t have a large waiting room where a mobile clinic, again, very intentionally designed. It’s a boutique style. Our colors are specific, are layout is specific to make our we call them our Betty’s our patients, our Betty’s feel as comfortable as possible. The way that we approach our customer is very different than a traditional practice now.”
The Betty’s have let them know via positive patient feedback why the model is so successful. “Feeling safe” is a common sentiment among many young women who find traditional gynecological visits daunting.
When did you feel Betty’s Co. was making a difference?
“One of my favorite pieces of feedback from a patient was about how she loved feeling safe by having only the providers and staff in that location with her. It was her first visit with an OB. We specialize in first visits. We have a ton of patients who come in and it’s their very first visit. And whenever I see acknowledgment from the patient that says ‘it was my first visit, it wasn’t as bad as I was thinking it would be. In fact, I can’t wait to come back.’. But this one patient really calling out how the model made her feel safe. And I think if you’re a woman and you’re going into a vulnerable position, that’s what you want them to feel. We are working on treating younger women.
Betty’s Co. has also been crucial in early diagnoses of conditions like breast cancer and endometriosis, enabling timely treatment for many young women.
“Just from a clinical perspective, to know that we’re having that kind of an impact on their lives so that they can have early treatments is really meaningful. And that’s why we’re doing this.”
What does having the support of Catalyst mean to you?
“For a health system like Wellstar to have its venture arm Catalyst that is out there really looking for opportunities, particularly in women’s health care, to better serve their patient population is just fantastic. To have them recognize how important this demographic of younger women Gen Z, is for the health and longevity of their patient population is fantastic. It’s really validating for what we’re doing and it’s going to help us to grow and to develop Betty’s in a way to continue to fit into that healthcare ecosystem. Having those relationships and partnerships is really critical for our growth and having a well-established health system recognize and say ‘I want to come onboard. I want to feel Betty’s growth. We see value here’ is really incredible. I mean, we expected it. We built it to be that way. But, of course, it’s validating and it’s going to help us grow even faster.”
What is your dream for Bettys Co.?
“My ultimate vision for Betty’s is that we have a Betty’s embedded on every college campus across the United States. Embedded in every, we’ll say Forever 21 or other major places that younger women tend to go that are normalized. That we have a Betty’s in those locations because that’s our ultimate mission. We want to normalize women’s health care for younger women.”
Her journey from patient to CEO is a testament to the transformative power of personal experience and professional expertise. Betty’s Co. is not just changing the conversation around women’s healthcare; it’s creating a new standard—one where younger women are informed, supported, and empowered to take charge of their health.
For more information, visit https://bettysco.com OR https://www.instagram.com/bettysco/ and join the movement to revolutionize women’s healthcare!
