For Seekers of Wisdom, Community & Conversations That Matter
Voices With Vigor:
Kara
Wada
A Conversation on Autoimmunity, Midlife Immune Health & the Physician-Patient Perspective on Living With Chronic Immune Conditions
When Voices Come Together, They Create Light With Sound
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 | 10:00 AM Pacific Time (1:00 PM Eastern)
In our modern world, individual voices often feel lost in an endless sea of noise.
One voice may be drowned out by a symphony of others, or swallowed up in darkness.
Yet when voices gather with intention, something beautiful happens:
They resonate with calm, reason, and hope.
This is where Voices With Vigor begins.
Our next chapter features the theme "Inflamed & Confused? The Plot Twist of Midlife Immunity" as we celebrate the growing community of Voices With Vigor and Susan Baumgaertel's dedication to meaningful dialogue…
A fitting moment to expand the conversation from wellness to autoimmunity, midlife immune health, and all the voices that matter.
About Voices With Vigor: A New Kind of Conversation Series
Voices With Vigor represents something rare in our digital age:
A return to the art of meaningful dialogue.
Inspired by the great conversationalists like Terry Gross of Fresh Air and the beloved Magliozzi brothers of Car Talk, this monthly series brings together extraordinary voices for intimate, unscripted conversations.
Each month, we welcome guests from diverse backgrounds: physician innovators, visionary veterans, wellness advocates, courageous trailblazers, resilient innovators, leaders who inspire, and so many others who share common threads of curiosity, kindness, dedication, and resilience.
What makes VWV special:
• Authentic dialogue over polished presentations
• Diverse perspectives united by shared humanity
• No sales pitches or commercial agendas
• Intimate format that prioritizes genuine connection
• Community building that extends beyond the screen
Merriam-Webster defines vigor as "active bodily or mental strength or force; active healthy well-balanced growth."
We believe our voices can be vigorous in spirit, in love, in creativity, and in purpose.
Important note:
While our current series remains free as a gift to our community, future VWV conversations will transition to a premium format.
These foundational conversations will eventually live on the website menopausemenu.com, but the live, interactive experience—the chance to ask questions and be part of the dialogue in real time—that's happening now, and only now.
A Conversation That Matters
Join Susan Baumgaertel for an intimate morning conversation with quadruple board-certified physician and Sjögren's patient Kara Wada…
A voice that bridges the worlds of allergy, immunology, and lifestyle medicine, along with the lived experience of managing an autoimmune condition from both sides of the exam room.
In this FREE 60-minute live gathering, we'll consider:
• Where midlife and autoimmunity meet – How midlife concerns and autoimmune conditions often overlap, and why the two are so easily mistaken for one another
• The weight of isolation – Why feelings of isolation are so common for people facing both midlife changes and autoimmune conditions
• Symptoms that evade diagnosis – How symptoms for both often escape a clear diagnosis, adding to the burden a person already carries
• Rethinking inflammation – Why inflammation is more complex than commonly understood, and how it is often used as a "scapegoat"
• The physician-patient perspective – What autoimmune conditions look like from both sides of the stethoscope, a vantage point Kara and Susan each know firsthand
Meet Our Featured Voice: Kara Wada
Kara Wada carries the rare ability to transform clinical expertise and lived experience into a compassionate, science-supported approach to immune health…
As a quadruple board-certified physician in adult and pediatric allergy, immunology, and lifestyle medicine, and a Sjögren's patient herself, she brings both personal wisdom and professional expertise to challenges that traditional medicine often overlooks.
Her journey from allergist and immunologist to autoimmune patient marked a profound foundation…
Inspiring her to combine her clinical training with integrative, science-supported care.
After nearly fifteen years in academic medicine—serving as an Assistant Clinical Professor, Associate Fellowship Director, and former leader of the Mast Cell Center of Excellence at The Ohio State University—she founded the Immune Confident Institute, a direct-care practice, and created the Immune Confident Approach and the 4R Framework: Recognize, Reclaim, Rebel, Rise…
A purposeful approach that helps patients uncover the "perfect storm" of factors underlying their symptoms and co-create a personalized path to wellness, blending modern medicine with integrative practices to address the whole picture.
When she's not seeing patients, you'll find Kara hosting the top-3%-ranked Becoming Immune Confident Podcast, co-hosting the Lessons We Didn't Learn in Medical School and Allergy Actually podcasts, sharing education on her YouTube channel, using her platform as Dr. Midwest 2023 to advocate for invisible illnesses, or raising her three children—Charlotte, Josephine, and Oliver.
She believes in the power of combining clinical precision with compassion and connection, and in honoring each patient's voice, choice, and agency…
A physician and patient who transforms lived experience into education, advocacy, and care.
Your Host: Susan Baumgaertel
Susan brings three decades of medical wisdom and a lifetime of curiosity to every conversation.
As an internal medicine physician with over 30 years of clinical experience, she has witnessed the full spectrum of human experience:
• The fragility and resilience, the fear and hope, the moments that break us open and the connections that hold us together.
• In 2021, Susan stepped away from direct patient care to expand her impact through myMDadvocate, a virtual consultation service that serves as a bridge between patients and the often-complex healthcare system.
• As a physician consultant, healthcare navigator, and medical advocate, she helps people navigate everything from referral advocacy to chronic condition management, from aging gracefully to supporting caregivers through their most challenging moments.
Her passion for supporting women through life transitions led to the creation of MenopauseMenu, a comprehensive resource offering evidence-based information and holistic support.
• This work culminated in her 2023 book, "The Menopause Menu"—an all-in-one guide that transforms medical complexity into accessible wisdom.
• In 2026, Susan launched her Substack, Juxtaposition in Medicine, where she writes as a physician-patient on the juxtaposition of humanity and medicine's complex systems: "Raw, real, reflective. With a sprinkle of serendipity."
Recognition and impact:
• Featured speaker at prestigious events, including the STAT News Summit in Boston, the ICCR Conference in New York City, the Doctors on Social Media (SoMeDocs) virtual Menopause Conference, the Massachusetts Health Care Advocates virtual meeting of the New England States, and the 5th Virtual Sjögren's Summit
• Recognized by Seattle Met Top Doctors, The Best Doctors in America, and multiple professional organizations
• Board President of Cancer Lifeline, recipient of their Inspirational Leadership Award and Volunteer of the Year
• Sought-after voice on national and international podcasts
Susan embodies the intersection of medicine and art, science and humanity, individual stories and universal truths.
She believes in the power of genuine conversation to illuminate what matters most.
"My aim is to weave the tapestry of my career in ways that support others, promote health, strengthen human connections, and enrich our collective voices."
What This Gathering Offers
This conversation comes to you as a gift…
No strings attached or hidden agendas.
Simply an allergist-immunologist and a physician-advocate sharing what they've learned about immune health, autoimmunity, and the courage to build genuine connections while managing healthcare's complex landscape.
✨ Live morning conversation between two thoughtful voices in medicine, immune health, and autoimmunity
✨ Interactive dialogue where your questions become part of the story
✨ Insights into finding purpose and hope in midlife's and autoimmunity's most challenging moments
✨ Community connection with others who value authentic exchange
✨ Curated resources to continue your own journey of growth
Join This Circle of Voices
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM Pacific Time (1:00 PM Eastern)
Duration: 60 minutes of genuine conversation
Format: Live via Zoom (details sent upon registration)
Investment: Free—because some things are too important to put behind paywalls
Voices From Our Growing Community
"Susan is a great host and working to lift up voices, thoughts and ideas worth celebrating, investigating and considering. Thorough and inquisitive, it was a pleasure to have a conversation with her which felt effortless and informed!"
— Suzanne S. (Texas)
"The ability of Susan to draw the speaker into meaningful dialogue was a sight to behold. Her knowledge of the industry and the in-depth knowledge of the speaker provided insights most would gloss over, while others would most definitely walk away with a broader and deeper knowledge of the challenges in the business side of healthcare delivery."
— Ed B. (Atlanta, Georgia)
"I found this Voices With Vigor session deeply moving and eye-opening. Christine's story wove together science, advocacy, and lived experience in a way that felt both humbling and empowering. What stood out most was her insistence that healing isn't just about treatment — it's about access, equity, and community. The way she described Connect and Thrive and the KittyFunds showed a real vision for making holistic, evidence-based care accessible to all, not just those who can afford it. This conversation reminded me why these voices matter: because they're real, unpolished, and honest. Christine didn't just talk about resilience — she embodied it. I left inspired, and with a sense that building change in health and wellness starts with listening to people like her. Grateful to the host for holding this room for shared learning and honest conversation!"
— Tayler M. (Seattle, WA)
Why This Moment Matters
We live in times when authentic voices feel increasingly rare.
When genuine connection seems harder to find. When the noise threatens to drown out what truly matters.
Voices With Vigor stands as a quiet rebellion against all of that.
This conversation with Kara Wada happens once—live, unrehearsed, immediate.
Miss it, and you miss the chance to be part of something that can't be replicated or reproduced.
This Conversation Calls To:
✨ Anyone facing midlife changes who suspects there may be more to their symptoms than a single label
✨ People living with autoimmune conditions who have felt dismissed, rushed, or left to piece things together alone
✨ Those curious about the concept of inflammation and what it does and doesn't mean for health
✨ Clinicians interested in the physician-patient perspective on chronic immune conditions
✨ People ready to add their own voice to a chorus of conversation about immune health and midlife
This Moment Won't Come Again
Registration closes when we reach our intimate gathering size or at 9:00 AM Pacific on August 19th.
The beauty of meaningful conversation lies in its limitations…
We can't accommodate everyone, but we can create something special for those who choose to join us.
Questions You Might Have
Q: What makes this different from other online events?
A: This follows the tradition of great conversationalists—genuine curiosity, thoughtful questions, space for real dialogue. No scripts or sales pitches, simply two people exploring ideas that matter.
Q: What if I can't attend live?
A: The recording captures the content, but the live experience—the ability to ask questions, feel the energy of real-time dialogue—that's irreplaceable.
Q: How long will we gather?
A: Sixty minutes, including time for your questions to become part of the conversation.
Q: Is this only for physicians or healthcare professionals?
A: Not at all. While some of our guests come from medical backgrounds, this conversation spans universal themes of identity, authenticity, self-worth, and the courage to change course. Whether you're a physician, a teacher, a parent, or simply someone who feels the pull to live more true to yourself—this is for you.
Q: Will you try to sell me something?
A: Never. This is about paying it forward, the old-fashioned barter system of sharing what we know because it matters, not because it profits.
Q: I heard future events won't be free—is that true?
A: This "Inflamed & Confused? The Plot Twist of Midlife Immunity" conversation continues as a gift to our community. Future series may transition to different formats, but we believe these particular conversations are too important to put behind paywalls.
Q: How do I prepare?
A: Bring your curiosity and your favorite beverage. If you're drawn to learn about Kara's work beforehand, listening to her Becoming Immune Confident Podcast or connecting with her on LinkedIn will give you insight into her approach to immune health. Learning about her Immune Confident Approach and the 4R Framework—Recognize, Reclaim, Rebel, Rise—will give you deeper insight into how she helps patients uncover the "perfect storm" of factors underlying their symptoms. But neither is required—just come as you are.
Q: What about future conversations?
A: One to three voices join us each month, each bringing their own unique perspective to the themes that connect us all—resilience, creativity, purpose, community.
Your Choice, Your Voice
Two paths stretch before you:
One leads back to the familiar—the endless scroll of surface-level content, the webinars that promise everything and deliver little, the noise that drowns out what matters most. And later, when you realize what you missed, the opportunity to experience VWV in its founding spirit will have passed.
The other leads here—to a conversation that honors the complexity of human experience, that believes in the power of authentic voices to create light with sound. To a moment that won't come again, offered in a spirit that won't be repeated.
The choice, as always, is yours.
But this conversation happens only once, with these voices, at this moment in time, in this generous format.
Voices With Vigor – Creating light with sound, one conversation at a time.
Questions? Reach out at [email protected] or connect with Susan on LinkedIn.
We respect your privacy and protect your data. By registering for this event, you'll receive your free Zoom access link, be added to Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD's email list for updates about future Voices With Vigor conversations, and receive occasional wellness insights. You can unsubscribe anytime, and we never sell or share your information with third parties.
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