Meet the Mavens: Jane van Dis, MD

How did you first hear about Maven?
I had worked with HealthTap since 2012 and thus had been watching the telemedicine space. When a I saw there was a company devoted solely to the health care needs of women, I was thrilled to get a chance to participate and be a part of the Maven experience.

How do you partner with Maven?
I am a provider on the site, I see patients on the site. And I am also an advisor to Maven. This means that I help support the team, build out or conceptualize how programs might most benefit the patients we serve and understand the increasing role that telemedicine can play in improving outcomes and health care for the women we serve.  

Why did you choose to work with Maven?
When I heard that Maven had a female CEO and Founder, that was a big seller for me. I think women are underrepresented as leaders in start-ups and definitely in healthcare tech. When it comes to what women need and want in healthcare, without a doubt, it’s imperative to have women at the helm.

Why did you choose to go into the OB-GYN field?
I went into ObGyn because I knew I wanted to perform surgery and I was fascinated with the pathology of the reproductive tract. I also considered vascular surgery (my father is a cardiologist). I love and am passionate about being an advocate for women, so women’s health was a natural and intuitive fit for me. I’ve since focused my role as an Ob Hospitalist. When I was in residency I felt the allure of the intersection between medicine and pregnancy and was fascinated by the many physiologic changes the body undergoes to accommodate a pregnancy.

What’s one of the most common health questions women ask you?
Most common is: what type of birth control is best. Being able to determine if and when we become pregnant is such an essential question for women. And the answer is, it’s different for every woman. It’s important to understand the myriad of variables that go into that decision and to choose the birth control that fits her best.  

What is your wish for the future of women’s healthcare?
My wish is that women have the means, space and ability to speak on behalf of their wants, needs and desires for their bodies, for their fertility, for their pregnancies and their children. That they are educated about their bodies and their body’s functioning. That women have a healthcare system that listens to them—for as long as they need to talk.

My wish is that women have scientists who are researching on behalf of their medical needs, doctors who are speaking up for and advocating for their needs, and physicians and nurses and hospitals who treat them with dignity and respect no matter their age, race or gender identity. My wish is that we reject unproven therapies and marketing to women that says more about corporate greed and less about care for women. I wish for a healthcare system where women have a voice and that voice is heard and acted upon.

What’s a totally random fact about you?
Salsa is my favorite food, the hotter the better. Coffee is my very best friend, like, of all time. And, unrelated, chickens are my spirit animal. I have 10-year- old boy/girl twins and they are my light and my hope.