News
Press Release - October 21, 2025
HERmedicine Expands Board to Meet Surging Demand for Women’s Health Education
Ten new board members bring expertise to close training gap affecting 50 million working women and costing $1.8 billion in lost productivity
October 21, 2025 – Nearly 50 million American women over 35 navigate perimenopause and menopause largely unsupported by medicine and the workforce even though the life transition negatively impacts wellbeing and productivity.
The byproducts of this stage touch every aspect of a woman's life, from finances and health to work. Menopausal symptoms alone lead to an estimated $1.8 billion in lost work productivity and accrue health care costs north of $24 billion, according to The Mayo Clinic.
HERmedicine, a nonprofit education organization dedicated to advancing women's healthcare across the lifespan, today announced the appointment of ten distinguished leaders to its Board of Directors, positioning the organization to meet surging demand for rigorous, evidence-based education on women's health—with menopause as a critical and timely focus.
The board expansion reflects fundamental changes in how women's health is resourced and prioritized. Women comprise more than half the U.S. population yet women's health receives a fraction of medical research funding relative to population size. With menopause finally entering mainstream conversation and attracting increased investment and attention, the need for trusted, unbiased education has never been more critical.
"Women's health is having its moment—and with that comes both opportunity and responsibility," said Dr. Lisa Larkin, board-certified internist, nationally recognized menopause expert, and Founder and Executive Director of HERmedicine. "Women are asking more sophisticated questions across all stages of their health journey. Employers are recognizing workplace implications. Researchers are uncovering connections between midlife health management and long-term outcomes. While menopause has become a focal point of national conversation, our mission encompasses the full spectrum of women's health—from reproductive health and contraception through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. We're not advocating for attention anymore—we're building infrastructure to meet demand."
"At a pivotal moment when investments in women's health are increasing and women are demanding better options while questioning what's truly safe and effective, it's critical to platform trusted, evidence-based information," said Elizabeth Sarkar, Executive Advisor to HERmedicine. "For nearly three decades, I've witnessed the gaps in women's health education—both for clinicians and for women themselves. HERmedicine is positioned to close those gaps through rigorous, accessible information for physicians seeking continuing education and women navigating their own health decisions."
The ten new board members bring expertise essential to scaling evidence-based education:
• Jennifer Coppola, PhD, Vice President, Head of Medical Affairs at Sumitomo Pharma America, spent 25+ years advancing pharmaceutical development across oncology, internal medicine, and metabolic health—areas where women's health intersects with chronic disease management.
• Lori Conrad, secondary science educator with clinical laboratory training, translates complex medical science into accessible formats that reach diverse audiences.
• Alyssa Dweck, MD, FACOG, MSCP, Chief Medical Officer at Bonafide Health and practicing gynecologist in Manhattan, serves thousands of patients while contributing to national media conversations that shape public understanding of women's health across reproductive years and menopause.
• Amanda Kennedy, Women's Health Advocate and Philanthropist, directs strategic resources toward conditions that disproportionately affect women.
• Allison Lewin, Founder of Menowar and former corporate marketing executive, applies 25+ years of business leadership to menopause advocacy, workplace education, and policy development as San Francisco Bay Area Leader for Women’s Health Advocates.
• Whitney Maxson, Shareholder at Katz, Teller, and Hild, brings legal expertise and governance oversight that ensures organizational sustainability.
• Nina Nashif, founder of Healthbox (one of the country's first digital health accelerators) and current CEO of an AI-powered women's health solution, has spent 25+ years building and scaling healthcare innovation focused on underserved markets.
• Elizabeth Sarkar, Founder of JA Creative Healthcare Communications, has developed evidence-based educational content for women's health clinicians for 28 years, working with leading medical societies and experts across menopause, reproductive health, and related conditions.
• Jessica Schreiber, Chief Administrative Officer at Ms.Medicine with strategic planning experience at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Deloitte Consulting, drives operational excellence and growth strategy.
• Elizabeth Schumacher, JD, LLM, Founder and CEO of Affinity Strategies, four-time kidney transplant recipient, and past board member of UNOS and National Kidney Foundation, builds organizational capacity for medical subspecialty associations committed to advancing patient care.
Dr. Larkin serves as 2024 President of The Menopause Society, Founder and CEO of Ms.Medicine (a national healthcare management services organization), and CEO of Concierge Medicine of Cincinnati, where she maintains an active clinical practice.
HERmedicine's growth demonstrates escalating need: participation in the organization's weekly providHERS Discussion Group doubled from 78 to 158 clinicians in 2025. Monthly consumer-facing HERtalks programs reach an average of 82 women. The organization now serves more than 2,500 healthcare providers.
"We've reached the point where the question isn't whether women's health deserves attention—it's how quickly we can train clinicians, educate women, and integrate evidence-based care into standard practice," said Schumacher, President of HERmedicine's Board of Directors. "This board gives us the clinical expertise, business acumen, advocacy reach, and operational capacity to accelerate that timeline."
The board's collective experience spans clinical medicine, pharmaceutical development, healthcare innovation, legal and business strategy, medical communications, and policy advocacy—capabilities HERmedicine requires to deliver education at scale while maintaining scientific rigor and independence from commercial influence.
HERmedicine provides unbiased, evidence-based education through weekly virtual discussion groups for clinicians, accredited continuing medical education courses, monthly consumer education programs, customized workplace education, and professional development experiences. All programming prioritizes accessibility alongside clinical accuracy, covering topics from contraception and reproductive health through perimenopause, menopause, breast health, and cardiovascular disease.
"The infrastructure didn't exist for this kind of comprehensive, evidence-based women's health education," said Larkin. "We're building it now—when it matters most and when both the clinical community and women themselves are ready to engage."
About HERmedicine HERmedicine is a nonprofit education organization transforming women's healthcare through evidence-based education for women and the clinicians who care for them. The organization creates an inclusive community where diverse perspectives inform clinical dialogue, ensures free and accessible resources that reach both healthcare professionals and patients, and delivers trusted content developed by leading experts in women's health. Learn more at www.HERmedicine.org.
Media Contact: Elizabeth Sarkar 734-834-4625 esarkar@hermedicine.org