Even though more than a million women across the U.S. undergo menopause each year, most doctors weren’t trained on how to address questions related to this natural transition in life or treat complications arising from it.
In an effort to give its patients access to providers who can help them navigate the menopause journey, Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston struck a new partnership with Midi Health on Wednesday. Palo Alto-based Midi, which was founded in 2021, is a virtual care clinic focused exclusively on women who are navigating their midlife hormonal transition. Under the partnership, Memorial Hermann patients can access Midi’s services directly through the company’s platform or by getting a referral from a Memorial Hermann-affiliated physician.
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Midi’s services are covered by insurance under most major PPO plans in Texas. After setting up their account and entering their insurance information, the patient tells Midi about their symptoms and schedules a time to have a telehealth visit with a clinician. During the visit, the patient has a chance to discuss their symptoms and health history in depth with a nurse practitioner or doctor trained in menopause care.
“This is basically a 30-minute deep-dive focusing on the symptoms that bother them most,” said Midi CEO Joanna Strober.
If bloodwork or imaging can help Midi personalize the patient’s treatment, the platform sends them to a local facility that accepts their insurance, she noted.
Midi periodically sends check-in messages to patients to gauge how they are managing their symptoms, and patients can schedule follow-up appointments at any time. On average, Midi sees a patient two to three times during their first three months on the platform. Strober said. After that, the frequency of visits is patient-specific.
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“Every Midi patient receives a personalized care plan, based on their symptoms, health history (including any history of breast and other female cancers) and risk factors. Care plans are holistic and may include hormonal and non-hormonal prescription medications, behavior change coaching, evidence-based supplements and integrative therapy recommendations,” Strober declared.
Midi also partners with the patient’s other doctors, and refers them for in-person treatment when needed, she added.
When selecting a partner for this initiative, Memorial Hermann looked at “a few other virtual women’s health options” but chose Midi “due to the reputation of its clinical leaders, use of evidence-based medicine and customer experience,” said Dr. Victoria Regan, vice president of the health system’s women and children’s service line.
According to Dr. Regan, Memorial Hermann has two main goals for its partnership with Midi. The first is to improve women’s health in the community — having a virtual menopause care option allows the health system to offer another point of access for its patients and help them manage their health at home. Memorial Hermann is also seeking to gather data to inform decisions about which services it should offer to meet women’s healthcare needs, she added.
To measure the success of these goals, the health system is tracking the total number of Midi visits, the number of referrals from Memorial Hermann providers to Midi, and the number and type of referrals from Midi to Memorial Hermann, as well as collecting qualitative patient experience data, Dr. Regan explained.
Photo: Toa55, Getty Images
