A new physician joins the Energize team, bringing broad clinical experience and a thoughtful approach to personalized primary care.

Energize Health & Hormones (EH&H) is pleased to welcome Dr. Lauren Bence, MD, to the practice as a primary care physician. Her arrival marks another step in the evolution of Dr. Heidi Queen’s personalized approach to primary care—one that gives patients more time, more access, and a more complete view of their health.

Dr. Bence brings a diverse clinical background to EH&H. After earning her undergraduate degree in Biology and Society from Cornell University, and her medical degree from the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine, she completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago. She practiced emergency medicine in Chicago for six years, before stepping away from clinical practice to focus on her family’s own complex healthcare needs. During that time, she continued working as a medical travel consultant for AXA Assistance, providing medical guidance and assistance to travelers navigating care around the world. 

Dr. Bence returned to clinical practice in 2022, after her family moved from Chicago to Marin County. She spent the past three years working as a family medicine doctor in Mill Valley. This experience fostered a deep appreciation for the long-term relationships at the heart of primary care, and found herself wanting to create even more time and space for meaningful conversations, thoughtful decision-making, and truly personalized care. This ultimately led her to Dr. Queen’s concierge model, where she can practice medicine in a manner that is aligned with her approach to care.

A different approach to primary care

Dr. Queen founded EH&H around the idea that healthcare can be both medically rigorous and deeply personal. The practice’s concierge model gives physicians the time and flexibility to look beyond a single symptom or diagnosis, consider the larger picture, and work collaboratively with patients on prevention and long-term health.

The practice currently offers concierge primary care alongside specialized care for menopause and hormone health, integrative functional medicine, nutritional support, and medically guided GLP-1 treatment. The goal isn’t to separate these areas into disconnected pieces, but to consider how they interact within each person’s health and life. For Dr. Bence, joining the practice provides an opportunity to bring her primary-care experience into this more personalized model while working closely with Dr. Queen to expand her approach to integrative medicine and women’s health.

Building the next chapter of Energize

As Dr. Bence works alongside Dr. Queen, she will be enhancing her expertise in women’s health, with a focus on the unique needs of women during midlife and the menopause transition.

Energize’s growth reflects something important about the Practice: good healthcare isn’t necessarily about fitting every patient into the same model. It’s about having the right physician, the right amount of time, and the right level of support for where you are in your health journey. With her emergency medicine background, primary-care experience, and personal understanding of the complexities families can encounter in healthcare, Dr. Bence brings another valuable perspective to the team. 

Outside of medicine, Dr. Bence enjoys trail running and participating in the annual Dipsea Race, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband and their three children. Her family is also a breeder-custodian for Guide Dogs for the Blind; a meaningful experience that has become a special part of family life.

Dr. Bence is also grateful to serve on the boards of two organizations—one supporting students and families navigating special education and promoting inclusion in schools, and the other creating opportunities for adults with disabilities to live more independently and fully engage in their communities. 

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Lauren Bence to Energize Health & Hormones. If you’re looking for a more personal approach to primary care in Marin County, we invite you to request a consultation today. Call (415) 548-7901 to learn more and to schedule your appointment today.