b'Not your TypicalDoctors OfficeHerMD offers a new approach to female health careBY MALIA HERMANW aiting for an appoint-ment at HerMD is not like sitting in any hos-pitalordoctorswait-ingroomyoumight haveexperienced.Its more akin to a spa or even a friends living room.There are no matching upholstered chairs aligned inpreciserowswithanassortmentofmagazines sitting on interspaced side tables. Instead, picture a large plush emerald green couch, flanked by two mid-century leather armchairs and two velvet accentswer to this question was a resounding YES. AndHerMDpracticesareinCrescentSprings,Ky., chairs, arranged around a coffee table adorned withthus, HerMD was formed. Infused with $30 millionFranklin, Tenn., and Carmel, Ind. Each clinic offers books such as Lessons in Chemistry, At Least You Havein venture capital funds to expand, it has been open- in-person and telehealth services.Your Health, and Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis anding new clinics across the country. ActressMelissaGilbert,madefamousbythe Myth in a Man-Made World. It was humbling to see women traveling fromLittle House on the Prairie series, was one of 1,200 Sure, some doctors offices have a water dispenser,everywhere, but it was heartbreaking that this carewomen who signed up on a waiting list to be one of but how about an alcove that features a mini fridgewas not available, says Komel Caruso, who is onethe Millburn clinics first clients when it opened last filled with cans of San Pellegrino sparkling water, anof three minority women co-founders of HerMD,August. In an Oct. 18, 2023 blog post, she gushed array of tea and coffee options, and organic nutri- along with Carusos sister and lead medical officer,about her experience: tion bars? Products pertaining to womens health areDr. Javaid, and Kathy Lai. displayed on a nearby shelf for patients to peruse.The Millburn clinic, located at 241 Millburn Ave-Indeed,withitsrecessedlightingandarchednue, is the fifth HerMD location nationwide and the doorways, the clinic exudes a calming atmosphere.first on the East Coast. Since opening last August, Whatsmore,thewaitingroomisntpacked.Nothe practice has drawn patients from as far away as nurses are seen rushing about. Washington, D.C., Manhattan and Brooklyn. HerMD, which started in 2015 as a gynecologistHerMD, which remains headquartered in Cin-clinic run by Dr. Somi Javaid in Cincinnati, Ohio, hascinnati, chooses new locations based on several fac-exploded in popularity for precisely this reason. Whytors, including a study of demographics, need, and must doctors offices feel so incredibly sterile, cold, andavailability of qualified physicians. Millburn rated uncomfortable? And shouldnt women be given morehigh in all these areas, says Caruso, who lives in West than a few hurried minutes to meet with their doctor?Orangea fact that also helped secure a clinic in Lead Chief Medical Officer Dr. Somi Javaid and Chief With patients regularly traveling from 35 statesNorthern New Jersey. Growth Officer Komel Caruso are sisters and two of the and three countries to the Cincinnati clinic, the an- In addition to Cincinnati and Millburn, otherthree co-founders of HerMD.feature story /27'