To read the back story about MenopauseMenu, please visit About!
Dr. Baumgaertel is an internal medicine physician with over 30 years of clinical experience. In early 2022, she stepped away from direct patient care into the virtual medical advocacy arena, founding myMDadvocate.
myMDadvocate is a virtual consultation service for patients in Washington state. Dr. Baumgaertel provides telemedicine consultations and advocacy support serving as a physician consultant, healthcare navigator, personal coach and medical advocate. Common requests include referral advocacy, debriefing after medical care, reviewing test results, navigating healthcare systems, coping with chronic medical conditions, staying healthy while aging, caregiver support, cancer care navigation, and many others.
Dr. Baumgaertel also loves to support physician colleagues as their professional compass. She is adept in advising and coaching physicians who are considering different roles. She supports U.S. physicians seeking advice about shifting to a different practice style including concierge, DSC/DPC and telemedicine-based business models.
Dr. Baumgaertel has a special affinity for helping women navigate the menopausal journey, which led her to start MenopauseMenu, a free website offering evidence-based information, tips & tricks, holistic support and three active blogs with videos, podcasts and recipes. In August 2023 she published “The Menopause Menu,” an all-in-one giftbook, medical guide, and recipe book for navigating menopause. Her latest book is a collaborative work with national colleagues, coming out in June 2025.
Dr. Baumgaertel enjoys speaking on many topics. She virtually spoke at the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility’s 2024 New York City Conference, followed by an in-person speaking role at the STAT News 2024 Summit in Boston. She has given several lectures for Seattle-based nonprofit Cancer Lifeline including one on working with the healthcare team, taught an online module for UCSF-based medical education in California, and gave a menopause talk for the Long Beach Public Library of New York. In 2025 she lectured in a national menopause conference as a member of Doctors on Social Media. Dr. Baumgaertel has been interviewed in numerous national and international podcasts.
Dr. Baumgaertel has been honored to receive recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance related to the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart & American Stroke Associations. She also has appeared on listings of The Best Doctors in America, America’s Top Physicians, Puget Sound Top Doctors, AVVO Top Doctors, and Seattle Met Top Doctors.
Dr. Baumgaertel’s volunteer experience spans many decades but she is most proud of serving on the Board of Directors of Cancer Lifeline, including as Board President. She was the recipient of the Inspirational Leadership Award in 2018 and was Volunteer of the Year in 2022-2023.
My Favorite Things
Food
Shishito peppers from my garden.
Family
Commissioning.
Movement
Stanley Park walk, Vancouver B.C.
Flowers
Daisy at it’s prime!
Nature
Autumn mushrooms on a Seattle lawn.
Art
Chihuly glass with Space Needle.
