Healthcare executive and patient advocate brings governance expertise to nonprofit advancing women’s health education
CHICAGO, IL — October 28, 2025 — Affinity Strategies is pleased to announce that Founder and CEO Elizabeth Schumacher, JD, LLM has been named President of the inaugural Board of Directors for HERmedicine, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization transforming women’s health through unbiased, evidence-based education for women and the clinicians who care for them.
A lifelong patient advocate, Schumacher founded Affinity Strategies with the intent to provide professional expertise to medical subspecialty associations with the goal of advancing medical research and improving patient care. She brings her passion, experience, and entrepreneurial spirit to the HERmedicine board at a pivotal moment for women’s health, as national attention and federal funding increasingly focus on historically underserved areas including menopause care, maternal health, and chronic conditions affecting women.
“Women’s health has been underfunded and underrecognized in medicine for far too long,” said Schumacher. “I’m honored to serve as Board President for HERmedicine during this critical time. HERmedicine’s dual focus on educating both providers and patients positions the organization to be a powerful force in improving women’s health outcomes.”
Through Affinity Strategies, Schumacher has built a reputation for helping healthcare organizations scale their impact while maintaining focus on their mission. Her expertise in association management, governance best practices, and strategic communications will support HERmedicine as it expands its educational programming, which currently includes weekly virtual discussion groups for clinicians (providHERS), consumer education sessions (HERtalks), continuing medical education courses, and wellness travel experiences combining health education with community building.
“Elizabeth brings exactly the combination of skills and perspective we need at this stage of HERmedicine’s growth,” said Dr. Lisa Larkin, MD, Founder and Executive Director of HERmedicine and board-certified internist with more than 35 years of experience in women’s health and menopause. “Her understanding of both the patient experience and the operational realities of building sustainable healthcare organizations will be invaluable.”
HERmedicine’s inaugural board includes leaders from healthcare innovation, medical education, pharmaceutical development, women’s health advocacy, and business strategy. The organization currently serves more than 2,500 actively engaged clinicians and has seen substantial growth in 2025, with participation in its weekly discussion groups doubling from an average of 78 clinicians in 2024 to 158 in 2025.
Schumacher received her BA, JD, and LLM from the University of Wisconsin. She is a past board member of UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing), National Kidney Foundation, Gilda’s Club, and Ellevate Women’s Network. Her favorite part of working at Affinity Strategies is helping clients grow and scale to advance their mission, vision, and values—guided by the principle that the patient is our purpose.
About Affinity Strategies
Founded in 2014 by patient advocate Elizabeth Schumacher, Affinity Strategies provides association management, strategic communications, and governance consulting services to medical subspecialty associations and healthcare nonprofits. The firm specializes in helping healthcare organizations scale their impact while maintaining focus on advancing medical research and improving patient care. Learn more at [website].
About HERmedicine
HERmedicine is a nonprofit education organization committed to advancing women’s healthcare through unbiased, evidence-based education for both women and the clinicians who care for them. The organization envisions a future where open dialogue, equitable access to knowledge, and evidence-based expertise drive better health outcomes for all women. HERmedicine delivers educational programs including providHERS Discussion Groups, HERtalks consumer education, continuing medical education courses, and HERtravel wellness experiences. Learn more at www.HERmedicine.org.
