The Power to Transform: Elevating Pelvic Health in Nursing Practice

To recognize National Nurses Week and Pelvic Health Awareness Month, the IHP Office of Alumni Relations interviewed Kathy Kates, MS-NU ’10 on her nursing career, her role as a pelvic health practitioner, and her dedication to raising awareness around the importance of pelvic health for all patients.  

Tell us about your current role.

I’m the CEO and founder of Pelvic Health Support, a clinical practice specializing in pelvic and sexual health, and the co-founder of the Institute for Pelvic Health, where we train clinicians to assess and treat pelvic floor dysfunction with clarity and confidence. I care for patients within a pelvic floor physical therapy setting, where interdisciplinary collaboration is central to every care plan. My clinical work begins with pelvic pain — and often becomes the gateway to addressing broader sexual health concerns and restoring overall quality of life.

Pelvic Health Awareness Month and Nurses Week are both in May. The 2025 Nurses Week theme is “The Power of Nurses to Transform Health.” How are you transforming health as a pelvic health practitioner?

I’m transforming health by equipping nurses and advanced practice nurses (APRNs) to integrate pelvic health into care they already provide. APRNs are taught to perform pelvic exams — but we’re not taught how to assess pelvic floor muscle tone or motor control. That missing link is what I’m working to close. Through the Institute for Pelvic Health, we’ve trained over 100 clinicians worldwide through Beyond the Kegel, our signature course and mentorship space. I also partner with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Program, leading monthly pelvic health lunch-and-learns, training pelvic health clinician champions, and delivering grand rounds for NP residents and clinicians at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.

This month, I’ll present an international webinar for the International Anal Neoplasia Society titled “Incorporating the Pelvic Floor into Your DARE (Digital Anal Rectal Exam).” We've presented nationally at the Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners, the United Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Georgia, and the upcoming Pain Medicine Academy of Advanced Practice Providers conferences.

This work is transforming nursing by restoring confidence, expanding scope, and giving APRNs the tools to help patients who’ve been living in pain and silence. Because nurses are often the first to pause, to listen without judgment, and to ask the question no one else did — and when it comes to pelvic pain, that kind of presence can be life-changing.

Why is raising awareness about pelvic health important to you?

Because it’s already within our scope — we just weren’t taught how to see it. Pelvic health is in the hands of every clinician who performs a pelvic exam. Nurses can incorporate a pelvic health lens into the questions we ask, and by learning to assess pelvic floor muscle tone and motor control, we can turn routine exams into meaningful care. Raising awareness gives providers a language for what they’ve sensed but weren’t trained to articulate — and it gives patients validation, hope, and relief.

What was the catalyst for opening your own business and focusing on pelvic health support?

My own experience as a breast cancer survivor. After treatment, I developed significant dyspareunia and felt completely lost — even after years of running a sexual and reproductive health department at a federally qualified health center. The turning point came when a nurse practitioner truly listened to me and performed a pelvic exam that no one else had done. Her presence and skill helped me feel seen — and started my healing. That moment sparked my mission to ensure others wouldn’t have to wait years to be heard or helped.

How does an interprofessional team approach to pelvic health care support patient outcomes?

Pelvic health issues are often multifactorial — involving muscle dysfunction, inflammation, hormones, trauma, and psychosocial factors. When medical providers, physical therapists, and mental health professionals collaborate, we can address all layers of the issue. Patients feel more supported, heal faster, and experience care that’s truly whole person centered.

What are some of your takeaways from your IHP nursing degree that stick with you today? 

IHP taught me to lead with listening and curiosity. The mentorship I received, especially in women’s health and caring for vulnerable populations, still grounds me today. IHP also fostered a deep respect for interprofessional teamwork — something that defines both my clinical care and the educational work I do through the Institute for Pelvic Health. IHP helped me see that nurses aren’t just caregivers — we’re system changers.