Katherine Moore

As the Director of Benefits and Retirement Administration, I often talk about new benefits, vendor partners, and plan enhancements. What I don't often talk about is why certain benefits matter so much to me personally.

This month, I wanted to share a piece of my own story and explain why I was so passionate about bringing Maven to NWACC.

My Journey Began in My Mid-Twenties

My journey began in my mid-twenties when I suddenly developed severe pelvic pain. One day, I was at work, and simply walking became almost unbearable. I immediately called my doctor and left for an appointment.

Looking back, I realize how fortunate I am now to work for an employer that values employee well-being and provides generous leave benefits. At the time, I worked in an environment where taking time off for medical care was far more difficult.

The initial diagnosis was unclear. My doctor suspected hormone-related issues and prescribed a short course of estrogen. The treatment helped, and for several years, the pain would come and go. Whenever it flared, another week of treatment seemed to manage it.

Then 2020 arrived.

In January, during a routine eye exam, I learned that my eye pressure had increased dramatically. After years of monitoring, I was officially diagnosed with glaucoma. It took multiple medication trials to find an effective treatment while my doctors worked to stabilize my vision.

Just a few months later, my pelvic pain returned with a vengeance. What I expected to be a short wait for my annual appointment became nearly six months due to COVID-related delays. By September, I was in excruciating pain and struggling simply to make it through the day.

Over the next several years, I saw multiple providers, underwent countless tests, tried different medications, and received diagnoses that never quite seemed to fit. At only 32 years old, I found myself dealing with conditions that many people don't encounter until much later in life. I often felt frustrated, discouraged, and alone.

Then, After Joining NWACC in 2023, Everything Changed

I established care with a new physician who reviewed years of medical records from multiple providers and states. During my very first visit, she told me something no one else had said:

"I don't believe you're in perimenopause, and I don't think you should be on this hormone replacement therapy."

Rather than simply prescribing another medication, she dug deeper. She partnered with specialists, reviewed my history, and worked tirelessly to find the root cause of my symptoms.

The answer was surprisingly simple: my pelvic floor muscles were in severe spasm. After years of uncertainty, specialized pelvic floor physical therapy addressed the actual problem.

Eight years. Eight years of searching for answers.

That experience fundamentally changed how I think about healthcare and, ultimately, how I evaluate benefits for our employees.

I learned that good healthcare isn't just about access to treatment. It's about having access to the right expertise, the right support, and the right advocate at the right time.

That's One of the Reasons I Was So Excited to Add Maven

That's one of the reasons I was so excited to add Maven to our benefits package this year.

Maven is much more than a healthcare app. It connects employees and their families with specialized support for fertility and family building, maternity and newborn care, parenting and pediatrics, and menopause and midlife health—areas that can often feel overwhelming to navigate alone.

When I evaluate benefits for NWACC, I don't just look at utilization reports, costs, and vendor presentations. I think about the employees and families who may be quietly facing challenges of their own. I think about the person searching for answers, trying to balance work, family, and health concerns while feeling uncertain about what comes next.

If Maven can help even one employee find answers sooner than I did, then bringing it to NWACC was absolutely the right decision.

Because behind every benefits decision is a person. A parent navigating fertility treatments. A new mother adjusting to life with a newborn. A caregiver supporting aging parents. A woman questioning whether what she's experiencing is "normal." Someone who simply needs guidance, reassurance, and access to trusted expertise.

Benefits matter because people matter. And if sharing my story encourages even one person to advocate for themselves, seek another opinion, or take advantage of the resources available to them, then telling it is worth it.