Claire Lee, FNP, Women’s Health Certified

Sona Dermatology | Nurse Practitioner

Virginia Institute of Plastic Surgery | Nurse Practitioner & Registered Nurse

Georgetown University Hospital | Registered Nurse, General Surgery/Plastics/ENT

Powhatan Nursing Home | Patient Care Assistant/Registered Nurse

Massachusetts General Hospital | Patient Care Assistant, Burn & Plastics Unit

Massachusetts General Hospital | Patient Care Assistant, Post Anesthesia Care Unit

George Mason University, Fairfax, VA — Master of Science in Nursing

Northeastern University, Boston, MA — Bachelor of Science in Nursing

When it comes to treating pelvic pain, especially something as complex as endometriosis or other pelvic conditions, a patient-centered, multi-disciplinary approach is key. Carefully listening to what the symptoms are and obtaining a detailed medical history would be essential to rule out other potential causes of pelvic pain.
The most important thing is to treat the patient, not just the condition. Many of these chronic pelvic pain conditions can be emotionally and mentally taxing, so ensuring a holistic approach that includes psychological support, open communication, and empathetic care makes a world of difference. And the main key is collaboration—working with a team of doctors, physical therapists, mental health professionals, and other specialists to create a care plan tailored to the individual.

What draws me most to helping PRM’s patient community is the urgent, human need for validation and relief—often long overdue. These patients have not only endured physical pain for years but also a deep emotional toll: being dismissed, misdiagnosed, and left without answers. That kind of chronic suffering demands a care model rooted in empathy and unwavering advocacy. Because it’s not just about treating a condition. It’s about restoring trust, dignity, and quality of life.
What fuels my passion is the chance to break that cycle. To be part of a team that listens deeply, believes women and men when they say they’re in pain, and brings them out of the shadows of silence into a place where they feel seen, heard, and helped. I believe PRM isn’t just offering care—it’s offering hope with evidence, and compassion with expertise.

PRM’s mission to decrease the time patients suffer with pelvic pain is bold, necessary, and deeply personal to so many. To me, it means disrupting a broken norm. The average time to diagnosis for endometriosis is still shockingly high—often 7–10 years. That’s a decade of life, fertility, careers, relationships, and mental health compromised. Decreasing that window of suffering doesn’t just change clinical outcomes—it changes lives. It means giving a young woman her twenties back. It means helping someone become a parent who thought they couldn’t. It means preventing another patient from being told “it’s just anxiety” one more time. To me, PRM’s mission is a commitment to justice through medicine. It’s about restoring time, possibility, and well-being to people who’ve had them taken.

Endometriosis is such a significant issue, and it’s deeply frustrating that so many women suffer with it, often without a proper diagnosis or treatment for years. It’s a chronic condition where the condition can cause problems other than pain, such as lack of productivity at work, infertility, reduction in social activities, etc. The fact that it’s so under-diagnosed and often misunderstood can make it feel isolating for many women.
From a broader perspective, improving awareness and education about endometriosis is crucial. There needs to be better advocacy, funding for research, and public education campaigns. Many people, including healthcare providers, still don’t fully understand how debilitating the disease can be, and many women are misdiagnosed or dismissed. So, fostering an environment where symptoms are taken seriously would be a huge step forward.
Another part of the conversation is ensuring better access to treatment. While there are options available—like pain management, hormone therapies, and even surgery. It would be great if there were more personalized care approaches, where treatment plans can be tailored to an individual’s needs.

Though my background is in plastic surgery/aesthetics, throughout my career I’ve focused on patient-centered care for all my patients. A lot of my work has been with working directly with needles to perform procedures that can really make a difference in one’s life. One of the most meaningful parts of my work has been caring for patients who have gone years dealing with breast implant illness where they were made to think they were “making up” the symptoms that occurred after getting breast implants, which can be related to women with pelvic pain whose symptoms are brushed off. Through experiences like these I’ve become committed to education and advocacy—helping patients understand their conditions, navigate the healthcare system, and take an active role in their healing.