Boss Lady Docs, a social/support group for female physicians, provides needed outlet: ‘We believe in each other’

Dr. Lauren Matteini is the only woman in Illinois working as an orthopedic spine surgeon.

“That makes me a unicorn,” she said.

It was one of the reasons she decided to create a networking and support group for female doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Called Boss Lady Docs, they now have more than 215 members from around Elgin, the northwest suburbs and as far away as Rockford.

Boss Lady Docs recently received the Advocate Sherman Hospital’s Community Award in recognition of “its community leadership, (being) champions for physician wellness, and for providing an unbiased networking platform for collegiate discussions and curbsides,” according to a news release.

Matteini said forming the group was “super organic,” and a way to stay connected with other female doctors during what were isolating times. It began with text messages, followed by group messaging and then Zoom meetings.

“After we got boosted (vaccinated), we held our first in-person meeting and haven’t looked back,” she said.

Twenty-five people attended the first gathering, and now sessions are held monthly. More than 60 attended the group’s Christmas party in early December, Matteini said, and the 215 or so members also stay in touch through WhatsApp.

The name Boss Lady Docs comes from when Matteini was working at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. A resident there gave her the nickname “boss lady.”

The group’s doctors come from various specialties, medical groups, partnerships, independent practices, hospitals, clinics or urgent care facilities,

They pay no dues and their live gatherings are very informal, typically held in restaurants or pubs, Matteini said. There’s no agenda, nor are the sessions partisan, political or competitive. Talk can cover mundane topics such as where to get a car detailed or finding a good babysitter to issues related to their profession.

Chief among the latter is helping each other navigate the bureaucracies of the health care system so patients get the care they need, she said.

The group also provides an outlet to talk about the challenges and hurdles women still face in the medical profession. Those include disparities in pay and promotions compared to men and women being expected to adjust their management style so they’re not perceived as “not being nice,” Matteini said.

Female doctors can relate to what they hear from women they treat, she added. For example, women often shoulder the responsibility of being the primary caretakers for their families and their aging parents in addition to having full-time jobs and other obligations, she said.

The general state of health care is another common discussion topic.

“It’s a broken system,” Matteini said.

Illustrating that point, she cited a recent surgery that had to be canceled at the last minute because the insurance company denied coverage, deeming the procedure experimental. Three weeks prior, the same company approved the very same procedure for a different patient.

The occasional negatives don’t prevent Matteini from enjoying the profession and being part of Elgin-based Fox Valley Orthopedics.

“It’s a mom-and-pop shop that’s community- and patient-centric, a small group with a great bunch of humans and a good track record,” she said.

Boss Lady Docs members plan to seek ways to do more community outreach in the coming year, Matteini said. Though it has no mission statement, the group does have a motto.

“We believe in each other. We learn from each other. We depend on each other. And we inspire each other,” she said.

Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.