At ZS, we believe health equity is a fundamental human right. Through cross-sector partnerships, we work to close care gaps caused by social inequities—like the growing gender disparity in healthcare worldwide. By combining partnerships with clients and nonprofits with more than 40 years of industry expertise, ZSers like Sharon Suchotliff, associate principal in New York, are helping to drive positive change and improve outcomes for all.

Where passion changes lives

Sharon joined ZS with the goal of applying her customer experience expertise to make a broader impact.

Sharon Suchotliff, Associate Principal, New York

“Coming from outside of healthcare, where we obsessed over the customer experience, I was surprised by how little attention was given to the patient experience,” Sharon says. “I saw an opportunity to bring those skills into healthcare and improve experiences in ways that benefit both patients and businesses.”

That drive for impact led Sharon to connect with Women@ZS, one of the firm’s many employee-led inclusion and belonging groups. Through this community, she’s connected with women globally, engaged in critical conversations about gender equity and collaborated with nonprofits like Working for Women (W4W) and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA).

“It was inspiring to hear Women@ZS members speak with such expertise on topics close to my heart,” she says. “It’s important to have difficult conversations—from period poverty to the lack of women in clinical trials. But talking isn’t enough. We wanted to bring women across the industry into the dialogue and drive action beyond ZS.”

This mission aligns with ZS’s broader business responsibility and impact (BRI) commitments, including a priority to advance health equity. As part of that work, ZS is focused on creating universal healthcare language, diversifying clinical trials and mitigating the impact of social drivers of health.

One of ZS’s newest efforts is the Women’s Health Expertise Hub, a cross-functional team collaborating with clients to develop solutions that improve outcomes for women and gender-expansive individuals. The hub is co-led by Ailie Reasons, manager in Evanston, and Barrett Pignone, manager in Washington, D.C.

“Much of the current conversation around women’s health is limited to the reproductive system,” Ailie says. “There’s a tremendous need to broaden that conversation and address all issues affecting women’s health.”

The hub focuses on both traditionally recognized women’s health topics and conditions that affect women differently or disproportionately, including mental health and cardiovascular disease. The team partners with clients to raise awareness and drive systemic change.

Over the course of our five-year partnership with W4W, ZS has supported efforts to:

• Expand training in professional negotiation skills
• Address challenges faced by immigrant women and women of color
• Provide funding for career-launching certifications
• Develop and share data visualizations on the gender wealth gap

These efforts have helped hundreds of women advance in the workplace while strengthening ZS’s own commitment to gender equity in consulting and beyond.

Another effort aligned with this mission is ZS’s panel series, Health Equity is Women’s Equity, which reflects the goals of the Women’s Health Expertise Hub. The series spotlights underdiscussed health issues—like mental health and heart disease—that significantly impact women yet aren’t always labeled as women’s health concerns.

In the inaugural session, moderated by Sharon, leaders from Woebot Health, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies and the Black Women’s Mental Health Institute came together to discuss the unique challenges facing women’s mental health. Topics included historical gaps in care, the role of social drivers, and strategies for meaningful progress.

One panelist noted that the discussion illuminated the persistent disparities women face when seeking mental health support—and inspired a renewed commitment to champion more inclusive care.

Sharon says, “For me, the panel highlighted just how important it is to recognize the differences that lead to subpar experiences for women, to acknowledge the long history and lack of investment that got us here and to ensure that we push forward as an industry to prioritize women’s health.”

ZS hopes these conversations lead to unified efforts to mitigate gender disparity in health outcomes. We thank ZSers like Sharon, Ailie and Barrett whose passion, expertise and partnerships with healthcare industry leaders and nonprofits help advance women’s health globally.

To stay informed on our work improving women’s health outcomes for all, follow us on social media.

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