5 Questions with The Lanby’s Chloe Harrouche
We spoke with Mysha mom and The Lanby founder Chloe Harrouche to learn more about her wellness-forward, hospitality-led primary care membership club in New York City.
1. Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in Manhattan. I was an athlete, an extrovert, and a nerd – but only when it came to science and math. I studied Bioengineering at Penn and ended up in healthcare consulting. One year in, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. I was 23, with no family history and no concerning symptoms other than this weird lump I felt in my left breast. Given my age and the spread, my treatment involved a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and ten years of tamoxifen.
My fascination with doctors made me want to be their perfect patient. I said yes to every recommendation and never questioned their approach. Over time, though, I became more curious and motivated to explore nutrition and wellness – was there more I could do day-to-day to minimize my risk of recurrence and optimize for longevity? I inundated my world-renowned care team with questions. But they were simply ill-equipped and strapped for time. The reality is that doctors in the U.S. are trained to be reactive, not proactive, and they’re incentivized to churn through patients as quickly as possible. It’s not their fault -- this is a systemic issue deeply rooted within a very broken healthcare system.
Ultimately, this is where primary care should step in. The problem is that primary care today is just as narrow-minded and conventional as specialty care. So, we designed The Lanby to be a utopic version of primary care – a true first line of defense encompassing integrative medicine, wellness, and care coordination. We’ve tackled every pain point patients face when trying to get well and turned it into a seamless, pleasant experience that actually moves the needle.
2. What inspired you to start The Lanby and how is it different from other traditional primary care practices and concierge services?
As a patient, I craved an approach to care that made me feel supported at every turn. Whether I was dealing with an acute diagnosis, infertility issues, wellness paralysis, or wellness obsession – it didn’t matter. I wanted to build a long-term relationship with a team I could trust and who would go the extra mile because they actually cared.
We built The Lanby from the ground up. The traditional experience is so antiquated and transactional that there was very little we wanted to carry over into our approach. This allowed us to differentiate ourselves in a few key ways:
Membership model: Insurance reimbursements are designed to incentivize physicians to drive up volume, not quality of care. To avoid this, we implemented a membership model that realigns physicians and patients around the shared goal of getting well practically and sustainably.
Care Team: It shouldn’t be a surprise that physicians can’t do it all. They’re not trained to. To broaden the scope of primary care without placing undue burden on physicians (they’re burnt out as it is) we expanded our care team. Each member has a designated lead physician (board certified in family and integrative medicine), wellness advisor (registered dietician), physician assistant, member advocate, and care coordinator.
Hospitality: Our attention to detail goes far beyond the clinical aspects of care delivery. To truly reimagine primary care for the modern generation we wanted our members to enjoy their time with the doctor. So we created a vibey space and five-star service that caters to the patient at every touchpoint. Our team strives to do our best work, every time. We pride ourselves on closing every care loop, turning every stone, and infusing delight wherever possible.
3. How does The Lanby support pregnant and postpartum women?
The reality is that we as women have a tendency to put ourselves last. And yet, we are our most generous and present selves when our health and wellbeing is in a good place. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
During pregnancy and postpartum, our hormones are a bit like the wild west. We help our members establish an accurate baseline through comprehensive lab work and monitor them proactively throughout their pregnancy. This allows us to spot deficiencies early on, measure progress, and personalize our recommendations at every trimester, and beyond. Alongside their Wellness Advisors, our members are able to adapt their exercise regimen, find support for their mental wellbeing, implement a personalized supplement routine, and modify their dietary needs to support both maternal health and fetal development.
In some cases, existing issues are exacerbated and mysterious issues surface that fall outside the scope of an OB. That’s why we collaborate closely with any specialists involved in our members’ care and serve as their quarterback and advisor.
Finally, we support our members with dedicated resources, guides, and partnership perks to cut through the wellness noise. When it’s of interest, we can facilitate connections to other like-minded members who are at a similar stage of pregnancy or postpartum.
4. You are an active mom in the Mysha community. Tell us about your journey to becoming a mother.
Truth be told, my fertility journey ended up being more complex than my cancer journey, mostly due to a lack of guidance. I went through several rounds of IVF and IUI, but after two failed transfers and two miscarriages, I felt defeated and emotionally exhausted. I couldn’t stomach another round, so we decided to explore surrogacy (I acknowledge that having this as an option is a luxury and privilege that most can’t even entertain). There were still so many unknowns with surrogacy, but they felt more surmountable than figuring out my own health. We spoke to various friends of friends who had been through the process, and I’m thrilled to say, it was just as inspiring and gratifying as they said it would be. To me, it’s the most profound act of service that anyone can do for another human being.
The waitlist to get matched with a surrogate seemed infinite, so we put down deposits with two agencies, hoping to get matched as quickly as possible. We ended up finding surrogates with both agencies around the same time, and they were both too great to pass up. Our son, Mauricio, was born in May of 2022 and our daughter, Leah, was born nine and a half months later, in February of 2023.
5. What do you love most about being a mom?
I’ve really enjoyed discovering for myself, on my own timeline, what motherhood means to me. My journey was an emotional rollercoaster. Because it didn’t come easily, I almost convinced myself I didn’t really want it. I didn’t have the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy or childbirth, and I didn’t take proper maternity leave, so it’s hard to know how that would have changed my experience. But I’ve since taken the time I needed to heal the shame and frustration I felt in order to genuinely enjoy my kids. I don’t think I ever felt what I was “supposed to feel,” but that had less to do with surrogacy, and more to do with the feeling of failure that preceded it. I’m happy to say that I feel really good about where I am today and that’s because I let myself take my time and set my own terms.
In collaboration with The Lanby
Chloe’s Newborn Essentials
Add these tried-and-true baby items to your registry.
The Lanby Membership: Prioritize your health and happiness for the betterment of your parenting.
Yuka App: A useful tool to confirm your products don’t contain harmful ingredients.
BabyBjörn Bouncer: Everyone needs a moment to be handsfree and this has been an amazing way to calm my babies without having to rock them in my arms.
Lullabies for Baby Sleep 2024: This Spotify list is my go-to for creating a serene environment for my kids to sleep.
Canopy Humidifier: A must for restful sleep (for moms too).
Hatch Rest: A combination sound machine and night light for little ones that will work for years.