Nina Goodheart of Medtronic: Why Eliminating Gaps in Care Is the Ultimate Key to Global Wellbeing

Today, more than ever, wellness is at the forefront of societal discussions. From mental health to physical well-being, women are making significant strides in bringing about change, introducing innovative solutions, and setting new standards. Despite facing unique challenges, they break barriers, inspire communities, and are reshaping the very definition of health and wellness. In this series called women in wellness we are talking to women doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, fitness trainers, researchers, health experts, coaches, and other wellness professionals to share their stories and insights. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Nina Goodheart.

Nina Goodheart is the President of the Structural Heart and Aortic Operating Unit at Medtronic and has been with the company for 17 years. Through her 20+ years in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, Nina has been inspired by helping people, her teams, healthcare professionals, the community, and patients who benefit from the life-saving technologies Medtronic produces. Nina is particularly passionate about women’s health and empowering women to hold leadership positions in healthcare at Medtronic and beyond.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?

When I completed grad school at NYU, I was laser-focused on becoming a journalist. I switched gears shortly after graduation, and worked for a number of advertising agencies focused on consumer products. There, I learned the ins and outs of marketing and how to reach a target consumer. Then I did some consulting work, both in big pharma and the medical technology industry, which further built my skills in creating and reaching new and difficult-to-reach markets. This road ultimately led me to Medtronic.

I’ve now been at Medtronic for about 17 years. I’ve had a variety of roles within our cardiovascular portfolio, mostly on our high growth businesses. I’m continuously learning from our impressive teams and physician partners about how we can converge technology and healthcare to provide the best solutions for patients.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

Supporting women in their careers has been a defining theme of my own. As we continuously see in the data, business results improve and employees are more engaged when more women are in leadership positions.

I have served as both the co-chair and chair of the Medtronic Women’s Network (MWN) — an Employee Resource Group (ERG) focused on cultivating and sustaining a culture where women are empowered to lead at all levels. Thanks to the partnership and dedication of our 24,000+ members in 72 countries, we were able to reach our goal of 42% women in manager-and-above roles, and in 2020, we reached 100% gender pay equity in the U.S.

Beyond the numbers, I’m honored to have co-led an ERG that drives cultural transformation through policy recommendations and advocacy. In 2022, a group of women came to the MWN leadership team with a request for stronger family care leave benefits and time off for important life moments that require time away from work. Using the power of our collective community, we worked directly with senior leaders to bring industry-leading family and medical leave updates to the benefit policies at the company.

This is an amazing example of the power women have when they come together and share their voices to create an important and lasting change for themselves, and the women that come after them.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Very early in my career, I was working at a large consumer advertising agency for one of the very few senior women in the company. I was doing a lot of the work for an upcoming meeting on the calendar, but ultimately, was not asked to attend it. After the meeting, I mustered up the courage to ask why I was not included. She very simply said, “you didn’t ask.” I learned a powerful lesson that day.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

In all areas of medicine, clinical trials have historically focused on enrolling men. However, public health and patient outcomes are impacted if we ignore 50% of the population, which is why it’s critical that we focus on ensuring everyone is represented in clinical trials. We need to understand the differences, if there are any, between men and women in any specific area of medicine.

To that end, we’re currently working on a head-to-head clinical trial that’s studying the efficacy of a valve disease treatment called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), amongst a patient population that is primarily female.

Since women make up the majority of participants in this trial, we’ll be able to see the impact of technology on women with heart valve disease. We’ll be presenting the results of the trial in the spring, and we’re all excited to see what it shows.

We also know that women typically have better health outcomes when treated by women. At Medtronic, we’re engaging in collaborations to empower and support women cardiologists as they advance in their careers.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing?

1. Wake up early. I get up early every day, and I find those are my most productive hours. Try waking up earlier than usual if you find that you have less time during the busy workday to invest in your well-being. Use that extra time in your day to exercise, make a healthy breakfast, or meditate.

2. Read more. I find that by reading, I’m able to hear new perspectives and stories that I never would have learned about otherwise. It helps me expand my worldview and better connect with individuals who may have different backgrounds and life experiences than I have had.

3. Think about your impact every day. One way I avoid burnout is by asking myself this simple question every day: What’s the opportunity I have to make an impact today? This motivates me to keep going and delivering for my teams.

4. Practice gratitude. It’s so easy to get ourselves into negative thought patterns that have a profound impact on both our mental and physical well-being. I’ve found that by practicing gratitude, I’ve been able to counterbalance this and remind myself of everything I have to be grateful for in my life.

5. Connect with nature. I have a beautiful garden that I spend a lot of time tending to and enjoying. It brings me great mental peace to have those moments outside, connecting with green, happy space.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Eliminating gaps in care. So many people lack the proper access to healthcare services, from basic primary care to lifesaving medical devices, and we have a real opportunity to help change that. I would love to bring high-quality, accessible healthcare to people around the world who have little to no access to those services.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

1. Never be afraid to ask for what you want. If you don’t ask, you won’t receive.

2. Seek out a sponsor, not just a mentor, but someone who will proactively advocate for you.

3. Make room for others — if you are at the table, save a seat for someone else.

4. Focus first on the impact you want to have, not your title or salary.

5. Take time for yourself and the people who you love.

Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?

Protecting our mental health is one of the most important investments we can make in ourselves and our teams. Burnout is so pervasive in the healthcare industry that I think it’s impossible to ignore our mental health or put it on the back burner.

For me, waking up early to get in a workout, doing a call while taking a walk, or taking a coffee break late in the afternoon helps me unwind. I also try to connect with the people who are most important to me. I encourage everyone to find the little things in their day that end up making a big impact on their mental well-being.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

I share regular updates on my LinkedIn about my work at Medtronic and beyond.

Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success.

About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.