We’re excited to announce that Risa Kagan, MD, FACOG, CCD, NCMP, a leading expert in menopausal care and research, has joined Carrot’s medical advisory board. Dr. Kagan, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN), specializes in gynecology, with a focus on menopause-related health issues, bone and female sexual health, and female cancer survivorship. She is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has been published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, is on the editorial board of Menopause and the Journal of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), and is an ad hoc reviewer for many other peer-review journals.
In her new role, Dr. Kagan will advise Carrot on its first-of-its-kind line of clinically-validated, age-inclusive fertility benefits for employees going through every stage of menopause. She will report directly to Carrot Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH.
Coming soon, Carrot customers will have the option to add comprehensive support for menopause and low testosterone as part of their fertility benefits package. Dr. Kagan will exclusively focus on menopause. For Carrot members, that means they will now have improved access to providers through a specialized network, clinically supervised education, and intimate group support. Members can opt into a personalized Carrot Plan, receive telehealth access to specialized experts, participate in expert-led group sessions, access Carrot-vetted providers that support menopause and low testosterone, and receive additional resources.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Kagan to our team as we roll out age-inclusive benefits to our Carrot members globally,” said Dr. Ahmad. “Dr. Kagan’s expertise in menopause-related health issues, including her extensive research on the physical, mental, and emotional impacts menopause can have on women, will be a major value add as we help our members beyond their reproductive years.”
Dr. Kagan’s research includes studies about how menopause symptoms affect women in the workplace. In one study, Dr. Kagan explored how menopause is associated with an increased prevalence of sleep difficulties. Through this research, she found that new-onset sleep problems in midlife women are associated with significant increases in the risk of unemployment and approximately $2 billion a year in lost productivity nationwide.
“Throughout my career, I’ve seen the significant impacts that menopause can have on women, including what happens when they don’t have support systems and hold off on seeking care,” shared Dr. Kagan. “Joining Carrot, I’m looking forward to working with the team to deliver inclusive care to our members globally and ensure they have the support they need as they navigate the hormonal aging process.”
Dr. Kagan is a NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) and is certified by the International Society of Clinical Densitometry (CCD). After many years in private practice in Berkeley, CA, she became a founding member of the Sutter East Bay Medical Group (SEBMG). She practiced gynecology and clinical research with the Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation. She is now a menopause consultant for SEBMG. Dr. Kagan was a principal investigator on women’s health clinical research trials when she was co-medical director of the Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education (FORE) in Oakland, CA, then subsequently did menopause-related clinical research with the Sutter Health Research Institute.
Dr. Kagan is actively involved in several professional organizations, including NAMS, is a past Board Trustee, Scientific Program Chair, and on the current NAMS Scientific Program Committee. She is also an active member of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH) and the International Menopause Society (IMS) and is on the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board of American Bone Health (ABH).
Dr. Kagan earned her bachelor’s degree from New York University, her MD from the Albany Medical College of Union University, and completed her internship-residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology from UCSF.
To learn more about Carrot and how we support members through their lifelong fertility healthcare journeys, including menopause, get in touch with us.
