Women in Charge: Tisha Boatman on Resilience, Early Detection and Reclaiming Your Health

After discovering a breast cancer lump at 45, Tisha Boatman went from global healthcare leader to patient, an experience that reshaped how she leads, lives and advocates.

At 45, a routine self-exam led to a life-altering discovery: a small, painless lump that would ultimately change how she understood healthcare, resilience and her own voice.

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Today, six years cancer-free and a global leader at Siemens Healthineers, Boatman stands at the intersection of lived experience and systemic change. Her journey, from diagnosis through chemotherapy, surgery and recovery during a global pandemic, has become a powerful lens through which she now champions early detection, equitable access and patient-centred care.

She opens up about early detection, navigating fear, and why prioritising your health is the ultimate act of self-respect. Reflecting on the moment everything shifted, the invisible realities of illness, and why advocating for your health might be the most powerful decision you ever make.

GLAMOUR: You discovered a lump during a self-exam at 45. Can you take us back to that moment and what went through your mind when you realised something might be wrong?

Tisha Boatman: I only started doing regular self-exams after a friend of mine went through a breast cancer scare. It made me realise how important it is to actually know your own body. At the time, I was living in Denmark, and I wasn’t yet eligible for routine screening, so self-exams were really my first line of defence. When I found the lump, it was small and painless. My first instinct was that it was probably nothing serious because I didn’t fit the “typical” profile in my mind. But something in me said, don’t ignore this. I’m incredibly grateful I listened to that voice and went to get it checked. That decision changed everything.

GLAMOUR: After undergoing chemotherapy, a mastectomy and radiation therapy, how did the experience reshape your perspective on healthcare and patient care?

Tisha: Going through chemotherapy, surgery and radiation completely shifted how I think about healthcare. Before, I understood things intellectually, but living through it is something else entirely. What became clear very quickly is that when you’re faced with something like cancer, what matters most is the best possible clinical outcome. You want the most effective treatment, the best care, and you want to move quickly. At the same time, it was during COVID, which made everything feel even more isolating and overwhelming.

I'm now 6 years post finding the lump and still cancer free, but because I was only 45, which gives me a high likelihood of recurrence for various reasons, I will be closely monitored for 10 years. A lot of times with breast cancer, they say 5 years and you're out of the heavy woods. But because of my age and other factors, it's a 10-year timeline that I'm on. This journey reinforced just how complex and emotionally taxing the patient journey is. It’s not just about medicine, it’s about navigating fear, uncertainty, and decision-making in real time.

GLAMOUR: As a global healthcare leader at Siemens Healthineers, what did becoming a patient teach you that you hadn’t fully understood before?

Tisha: Becoming a patient was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. It gave me a completely different understanding of what people go through, emotionally, mentally, and physically. One thing that really stood out to me is how invisible illness can feel at times. There were moments where I didn’t “look sick,” but internally I was going through so much. It made me realise how important empathy is in healthcare and how easily patients can feel unseen or misunderstood. That experience has stayed with me. It’s shaped how I think about dignity, care, and the human side of medicine.

GLAMOUR: Were there particular emotional or mental challenges during treatment that had a lasting impact on how you approach your work today?

Tisha: Taking care of my mental health became just as important as the physical treatment. For me, staying engaged with work actually helped. It gave me something to focus on beyond the illness. At the same time, I became very intentional about doing things that brought me joy. Spending time outdoors, moving my body when I could, and just allowing myself moments of normalcy and those things really grounded me.

I had deep feelings about the possibility of this diagnosis changing my career. It hasn't. If anything, it's really helped my career because I do feel that I'm much more focussed on what is important to me. And I'm much more careful and consequent about the choices I make. It wasn’t always easy, but it strengthened my resilience in ways I didn’t expect. It also made me more conscious about how I want to live and where I choose to put my energy.

GLAMOUR: Many women still feel hesitant or fearful about performing self-exams or going for screenings. What message would you share with them?

Tisha: If there’s one thing I would say to every woman, it’s this: early detection can save your life. When something is caught early, your treatment options are often less invasive, your outcomes are better, and the overall burden, emotionally, physically, even financially is much lower. No one will advocate for your health better than you. Trust your instincts, go for your screenings, and don’t wait if something doesn’t feel right.

GLAMOUR: How has your personal journey influenced the way you lead initiatives focused on early detection and healthcare access?

Tisha: My experience has deeply influenced the work I do today. It’s made me incredibly passionate about advancing early detection and screening, because I’ve seen firsthand the difference it makes. I’m committed to helping expand access to screening, improving education, and supporting healthcare systems so that more people, no matter where they are, have a better chance at early diagnosis. This isn’t just professional for me, it is personal.

GLAMOUR: Access to screening remains a challenge in many parts of the world, including across Africa. What do you see as the biggest barriers preventing women from getting screened early?

Tisha: There are still so many barriers that prevent women from accessing screening. Cost is a big one, and not just the medical cost, but things like taking time off work or travelling to a facility. There’s also fear and stigma. Sometimes people are afraid of what they might find, or they don’t have enough information to understand why screening is so important. That’s why it’s critical to bring services closer to communities and to invest in education, so that people feel empowered, not afraid.

GLAMOUR: What initiatives is Siemens Healthineers currently driving to improve healthcare equity and screening access for women globally?

Tisha: I’ve been fortunate to work on initiatives that focus on expanding access to screening and improving healthcare delivery, particularly in underserved communities. This includes things like training healthcare professionals, supporting mobile screening units, and building partnerships between the public and private sectors.

A powerful example of this can be seen in Egypt, where a national Health 2030 vision placed women’s health at the centre of progress. Recognising that “Egyptian health is women’s health,” the country made a bold commitment to prioritise breast cancer screening, an effort that has since translated into meaningful, on-the-ground impact.

Through this initiative, Siemens Healthineers has played a dual role: strengthening clinical capacity and expanding access. Training programmes across the country have equipped radiographers and clinicians with the specialised skills required for accurate mammography imaging and interpretation, ensuring not just access, but quality care. At the same time, the deployment of 90 mobile mammography units has brought life-saving screening services closer to women, particularly in underserved communities.

This commitment extends beyond Egypt. In Kenya, through partnerships with the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Women’s Health, efforts are underway to strengthen breast and cervical cancer screening systems in collaboration with local health authorities. Similarly, through support of City Cancer Challenge, impactful interventions in cities like Kumasi and Cali have significantly reduced the time between diagnosis and treatment, from over 60 days to approximately five - highlighting what is possible when systems are optimised with urgency and care. Beyond cancer, the focus also extends to non-communicable diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death globally. Screening initiatives in countries such as Vietnam and Philippines are helping to detect early signs of heart disease through tools like ultrasound and ECG. These programmes are not just identifying risk—they are creating opportunities for prevention, enabling individuals to take action before conditions become life-threatening.

At its core, this work reflects a deeper commitment: closing the gap between diagnosis and treatment, between access and equity, and ultimately, between risk and survival. It is about ensuring that more women and more communities are not only seen but cared for in time. Because real change happens when we work together and when we focus on making healthcare more accessible, more efficient, and more equitable for everyone.