HRT's...Where Are We? w/ Elizabeth Kelly

Menopause Care, Misinformation, and Advocacy: Nurse Betsy Returns

Amy Pons welcomes back repeat guest Elizabeth “Nurse Betsy” Kelly, a board-certified adult geriatric primary care nurse practitioner with extensive ICU/ER experience, work with Doctors Without Borders in Ethiopia and Malawi, and 13 years serving nursing home patients at Sinai Chicago.

They discuss rapid changes in midlife women’s health education and access to menopausal hormone treatment, emphasizing that the 2002 WHI study was widely miscommunicated, fueling fear of breast cancer and leaving many boomer women without treatment. Betsy explains that starting menopausal hormone treatment within 10 years of the last period can be protective, that transdermal estrogen reduces clot risks compared with oral forms, and that care is individualized; she notes FDA-approved indications and the lack of coverage and research for testosterone in women. They also address misinformation, holistic approaches alongside Western medicine, key supplements (magnesium, vitamin D, omega-3, L-methylfolate), and close with advocacy concerns about a 2026 federal student loan rule deeming nursing not a professional degree, restricting access to graduate programs.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:23 Why Womens Health Matters Now

02:35 Why Betsy Is Back

04:28 WHI Study and Lost Generation

07:34 Modern MHT Benefits

17:30 MHT vs HRT Explained

22:18 Testosterone and Insurance

26:42 Healthy Masculinity and Energy

33:12 Holistic Care Meets Medicine