Dr. Baumgaertel is an internal medicine physician with over 30 years of clinical experience. She stepped away from direct patient care into the virtual medical advocacy arena, founding myMDadvocate in early 2022.
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 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 2023 she published “The Menopause Menu,” an all-in-one giftbook, medical guide, and recipe book for navigating menopause.
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, taught an online module for UCSF-based medical education in California, and gave a talk for the Long Beach Public Library of New York. Dr. Baumgaertel has also been interviewed in numerous national and international podcasts.
