Your Primary Care Clinician Should Help You Navigate Women’s Health
May 20, 2026 • Season 4: Episode 19
The hardest part of health care isn’t always treatment, it’s figuring out who should treat you in the first place. Speaking of Women's Health Podcast host Holly L. Thacker, MD sits down with Laura Lipold, MD, Director of Primary Care Women’s Health at Cleveland Clinic, to map out how primary care, OB-GYN care and consultative women’s health specialists can work together across every life stage.
They talk candidly about why so many patients feel stuck right now, from limited access to primary care to the long shadow of menopause misinformation after the Women’s Health Initiative. You’ll hear practical guidance on what primary care can often handle (Pap tests, HPV and cervical cancer screening, mammogram orders, chronic disease management, obesity and metabolic health, behavioral health support) and when it’s time to bring in a specialist for complex menopause and hormone therapy decisions, severe osteoporosis, cancer survivorship, blood clots, transplants, or major cardiovascular history.
