Finding Courage, Clarity, and Community: The Story Behind Dr. Erica Howe’s Mission to Transform Women’s Wellness
When you meet someone who embodies both strength and heart, you feel it immediately. That’s the experience many women have when they encounter Erica Howe, MD—a board-certified hospitalist, nationally recognized educator, conflict-management expert, and mother of three spirited, beautifully chaotic kids. Dr. Howe is the kind of leader who doesn’t just talk about wellness in medicine—she lives it, breathes it, and shares it boldly. Her life’s work is guided by a simple and transformational belief:
Women are stronger together.
For years, Dr. Howe watched women across high-intensity careers pour their time, energy, and emotional labor into everyone else. She saw the symptoms of imbalance everywhere—burnout, perfectionism, isolation, and a deep sense of lost purpose. She also saw brilliance, courage, humor, and connection waiting to be reignited. Long before “wellness” became a buzzword, she believed in the power of community. She knew women needed protected space—space to learn, collaborate, and feel supported without judgment.
That seed of an idea became a movement.
The Birth of the Women Physicians Wellness Conference (WPW)
How a Vision for Physician Wellness Became a Global Experience
In 2019—before wellness conferences were mainstream—Dr. Howe launched the very first Women Physicians Wellness Conference (WPW). And she chose Grand Cayman for the inaugural event, because women physicians deserve more than a beige ballroom with stale coffee. They deserve sunshine, salty breezes, and a place where their nervous systems can exhale.
From its beginning, WPW broke every mold. It wasn’t a 12-hour lecture marathon or an exhausting networking gauntlet. Instead, it was:
Evidence-based education
Real conversations about conflict, boundaries, and burnout
Coaching and leadership development
Laughter, friendship, and genuine connection
Space for reflection and rest
Dr. Howe intentionally selected restorative destinations like Aruba, Grand Cayman, and Amelia Island because the location itself becomes part of the healing. Women physicians needed a space not just filled with information, but filled with oxygen.
The conference quickly grew into a community. Hundreds of women physicians return each year, calling it:
“Life-changing.”
“The first time I felt truly seen.”
“Exactly what my soul needed.”
WPW became more than a conference—it became a sanctuary. A recharge station. A place where women could drop their armor and talk openly about leadership, emotional labor, gender inequity, and the dreams they had set aside.
Expanding the Vision: The Women Professionals Wellness Conference (WPWC)
A Wellness Conference for All Women in High-Demand Professions
By 2024, Dr. Howe recognized something powerful: women in medicine didn’t have a monopoly on burnout. Women in law, business, finance, tech, entrepreneurship, government, education, and countless other demanding fields were struggling with the same patterns—success without support, ambition without rest, and constant responsibility without relief.
So she expanded her mission.
She launched the Women Professionals Wellness Conference (WPWC)—a three-day transformational wellness conference held every January in the Bahamas.
The vision is simple and bold:
Bring women from high-stakes professions together.
Normalize the struggles.
Share strategies and tools that actually work.
Create community, confidence, and clarity.
The Bahamas backdrop was intentional. It reflects Dr. Howe’s love for turquoise and orange—colors that embody vibrancy, optimism, and joy. WPWC mirrors her personality: warm, uplifting, and refreshingly authentic.
And, of course, every great leader has quirks. Dr. Howe loves spicy food—deeply loves it—but after an intense jerk chicken experience in Jamaica, she learned she is allergic to ghost peppers. Even her allergies have stories.
Why Dr. Howe’s Work Matters Now More Than Ever
Women Professionals Are Carrying More Than Ever Before
Across every industry, women are navigating increasing complexity in their jobs, relationships, and roles. They lead teams, households, organizations, and communities. Expectations rise while support systems lag behind.
Women hear the same messages on repeat:
Be strong.
Keep going.
Handle the emotional labor alone.
Take care of others first.
And yet—especially in high-pressure careers—women cannot sustainably thrive without intentional support.
Dr. Howe’s national and international speaking work focuses on the skills we rarely learn in training but desperately need:
Conflict management
Communication and negotiation
Boundary setting
Emotional intelligence
Leadership development
Whole-person wellness
Through WPW and WPWC, she blends education, coaching, and community in a way that feels human and deeply accessible. She gives women permission to stop performing and start being.
Most importantly, she reminds women that community is not a luxury—it is a survival skill.
A Leader Who Leads With Heart
What makes Dr. Howe’s impact so profound is not just what she teaches—it’s how she lives.
She is:
Warm
Hilarious
Grounded
Candid
Compassionate
Authentic
She speaks openly about raising three energetic children while navigating a demanding medical career. She acknowledges the messy, imperfect, deeply human side of being a woman in leadership. She listens deeply. She sees potential where others see exhaustion. She champions women who feel undervalued, unseen, or overwhelmed.
She teaches that:
Courage grows in community
Clarity comes when we stop chasing someone else’s version of success
Wellness is essential—not indulgent
When women gather, the world changes
What’s Next for Dr. Howe
Her bucket-list destination? The Maldives—a perfect match for a woman who builds worlds where women rise.
Her movement continues to expand, creating a global sisterhood of high-achieving women reclaiming their health, boundaries, leadership, and voice.
If you’re ready to experience Dr. Howe’s transformational work, here’s where to connect:
Websites
Women Physicians Wellness Conference: www.womenphysicianswellness.com
Women Professionals Wellness Conference: www.womenprofessionalswellness.com
Social Media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wpwconference/
ehowe@themedicaleducator.com