Joanna Strober

CEO, Founder MIDI Health

Joanna Strober is the CEO and founder of MIDI health, a company that provide tele health services to women in midlife. In the process, she ended up taking a leadership role not just for the company but for society as a whole, as MIDI Health does work that fills a big gap.

Like many founders, Joanna had the idea to start the company when she experienced this void of service personally. In our conversation, she very candidly discusses the experience that led her to the idea, and she shares how her previous career as a partner at a venture capital firm helped her design and build a company in a way that would enable it to be economically viable while fulfilling this mission. She also shares some eye opening statistics on what the status of healthcare for women is in this country.

JOANNA’S LETTER TO MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

I would like to discuss my urgent concerns regarding the recent proposal from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to limit the prescribing of controlled substances via telehealth.

At Midi Health, we serve over 100,000 female patients across all 50 states and Washington, DC. What deeply concerns us about this proposal are the sweeping, profound, and damaging effects it will have on women’s healthcare.

The expansion of telehealth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has provided access to vital medical care for all Americans, especially those in rural and underserved areas, where traditional medical services are often scarce or nonexistent. For the tens of millions of women living in verifiable healthcare deserts, this care has become a lifeline. In rural America, where over 50% of counties lack an OB/GYN and nearly three-quarters do not have a psychiatrist, telehealth is often the only viable option. Telehealth opens up doorways to care, gives women back valuable time, and ensures privacy. In the years since the pandemic, telehealth has continued to transform women’s wellbeing by addressing the unique challenges they face, making it an essential part of the broader healthcare landscape in this country.

Prescriptions classified as controlled substances, which would be restricted by the DEA’s proposal, are vital for treating many women’s health conditions, including those faced commonly by women in perimenopause and menopause. Gabapentin is an effective treatment for hot flashes and sleep disturbances, especially important for breast cancer survivors who cannot take hormonal therapies. Drugs like Ativan and Lunesta help midlife women manage anxiety and insomnia, conditions that disproportionately affect them. Phentermine is a critical tool in managing weight gain and improving heart health after menopause. Testosterone addresses low libido, a common menopausal issue that Midi works hard to destigmatize.

The DEA’s proposed restrictions threaten to dismantle the healthcare infrastructure that has empowered so many patients, and especially women, to take control of their health. These changes would disproportionately impact those who can least afford it—women in rural areas, women juggling work and caregiving, and women who already face significant barriers to accessing quality care.

The implications are dire, and time is short. If the DEA proposal is adopted, millions of women will lose access to these life-changing treatments on December 31, 2024.

Women’s health depends on it,
Joanna Strober
Founder & CEO, Midi Health