Why I’ve decided to open a Women’s Midlife Health Clinic
By Kari Waddell, FNP, MSCP
For nearly two decades, I’ve had the privilege of caring for patients in traditional primary care. I’ve walked alongside families through births, diagnoses, recoveries, and all the ordinary and extraordinary moments of life. I’ve loved my work and the people I’ve cared for.
But over the years, I found myself increasingly at odds with a system that made it almost impossible to provide the level of thoughtful, unhurried, comprehensive care that women—especially women in midlife—deserve. After deep reflection, advanced training, and countless conversations with patients whose needs weren’t being met, I made a decision:
I’m opening a women’s midlife clinic dedicated to menopause care, hormone therapy, metabolic health, and whole-person wellness.
This transition isn’t a rejection of primary care. It’s an expansion of what excellent care can and should be.
The Turning Point: Women in Midlife Deserve More Than 15-Minute Visits
Over and over, I met women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who were exhausted, overlooked, and told their symptoms were “just part of aging.”
Hot flashes. Sleep disruptions. Mood swings. Weight changes. Brain fog. Painful intimacy. Diminishing strength and energy. Anxiety that seemed to come out of nowhere.
These were real, life-altering symptoms—but the system offered them little more than rushed visits, fragmented care, and outdated information about hormone therapy.
Women told me:
“I feel invisible.”
“I don’t recognize myself anymore.”
“I was brushed off again.”
“Nobody has time to really talk to me.”
Why I Chose to Specialize in Menopause & Midlife Care
I pursued advanced training and became a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) because I wanted to offer evidence-based, personalized hormone care—the kind that research supports and women have been asking for.
The science is clear:
When delivered thoughtfully and individually, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT/HRT) can be safe, effective, and transformative.
But this type of nuanced care cannot be delivered in 10–15 minute time slots with administrative quotas and insurance constraints.
Women in midlife need—and absolutely deserve—longer conversations, shared decision-making, individualized plans, and a provider who listens.
Why I’m Choosing a Cash-Pay Model
This was not a decision I made lightly. But I made it intentionally.
A cash-pay model allows me to:
Spend real time with you—60–90 minutes for initial visits, not 10–15
Provide highly personalized hormone & metabolic care
Treat root causes rather than check boxes
Avoid insurance-driven restrictions on treatment and testing
Offer direct access and support between visits
Use labs and treatments based on clinical necessity—not insurance rules
Most importantly:
This model allows me to prioritize you, not the corporation or the insurance company.
What My New Clinic Will Offer
At my new practice, I’m focusing exclusively on helping women thrive in midlife and beyond with services such as:
Menopause and perimenopause evaluation
Individualized hormone therapy
Bone health assessment & optimization
Metabolic and weight support (including CGM-guided blood sugar coaching)
Thyroid evaluation
Sexual wellness and genitourinary health
Lifestyle, nutrition, and strength-building guidance
Emotional and cognitive well-being support
My goal is to create a calm, therapeutic, no-rush environment where women feel heard, respected, informed, and empowered.
My Vision: Care That Honors Women’s Lives and Their Stories
Women have spent decades caring for others—raising families, building careers, supporting aging parents, managing households, and holding entire communities together.
Midlife should not be the chapter where they are neglected.
My new clinic is built on one belief that guides everything I do:
Women deserve exceptional care—care that meets them with dignity, expertise, time, and compassion.
This is my calling.
This is my passion.
And this next chapter allows me to practice medicine the way it should be practiced:
with intention, presence, and heart.
A Final Word
In my years as a primary care nurse practitioner, I gained invaluable experience that shaped me both professionally and personally. I learned the art of listening deeply, supporting patients through every season of life, and navigating complex medical decisions with compassion and clarity. I’m profoundly grateful for the families who trusted me, the mentors and colleagues who taught me, and the countless moments that reminded me why I chose this profession. Those years gave me a strong clinical foundation, a resilient spirit, and a deep respect for the relationships at the heart of good medicine—and I carry those lessons with me into this next chapter.
But I am equally excited—and deeply committed—to bringing a new standard of women’s midlife care to our community.
Thank you for supporting this transition, for championing women’s health, and for believing—as I do—that midlife should be a season of growth, vitality, and empowerment.
I can’t wait to welcome you into this next chapter with me.