Dr. Jen Ashton has announced that her final day with ABC will arrive later this year, as she has a new career focus.
Ashton has worked with the network as their chief health and medical editor and chief medical correspondent for 13 years.
Viewers have seen her appear regularly on ABC’s Good Morning America, GMA3, The View, and ABC News.
Ahston’s contract officially expires with ABC at the end of June, so she’ll no longer appear on the network afterward.
For her next venture, she’ll devote her time to a new company she recently launched.
She spoke about her next steps after leaving the network with colleague Michael Strahan on Friday.
Dr. Jen Ashton reveals her final day on GMA and her next venture after she leaves ABC
During a segment on Friday’s GMA, Strahan mentioned that Ashton recently announced that she was “stepping away from her role” as ABC’s chief health and medical correspondent.
“We love you, Jen,” Lara Spencer yelled from off-camera, and Strahan agreed with the sentiments.
“Not til July 1, so you have me until then,” Ashton shared.
“As you here and everyone here knows, I’m board-certified in OBGYN, obesity medicine, and nutrition. Those are my medical professional passions, and I really wanted to devote a hundred percent of my bandwidth to launching this new company,” she explained on GMA.
“You guys are my family, and I’ll always be just a phone call away,” she told Strahan and others at the GMA studio.
“We love you here, and we always wish you the best,” Strahan told Ashton.
“You said the best thing. You said we ‘Can always pick up the phone and call,'” he joked, adding, “So we’re gonna continue to do that, Doc, but you know we love you and [ever] wanna come back, we’re here.”
In a statement from Debra O’Connell, President of News Group and Networks for Disney Entertainment, referred to Ashton as “one of the preeminent medical journalists of our time” and “America’s Favorite Doctor.”
O’Connell also suggested that Ashton is always welcome back after she “immeasurably contributed to ABC News as America’s No. 1 news network.”
Dr. Jen Ashton is leaving ABC for Ajenda
Ashton explained that her new company focuses on “information, community, and symptom relief.” It recently launched with a free newsletter, Ajenda, featuring “Jen” in the name.
“I’ve been hearing from women across the country about the focus on weight loss and menopause dominating our society’s health conversation and I wanted to have an impact in a laser-focused way,” Dr. Ashton said in a statement, per EW’s report.
“Women’s health and wellness is at a pivotal point in this country. Ajenda meets the moment, elevates the conversation and, with my strengths as a doctor and communicator, supports women,” she said.
“I’ve been having a lot of fun with it. I think there’s a massive need now for good women’s health information and communication,” she also shared on GMA.
Ahston mentioned on GMA that JoinAjenda.com is the place to visit for the free newsletter and to follow her other activities or ventures after ABC. In addition, she has an official Instagram page, @drjashton, where she posts regularly.
Viewers will continue to see Dr. Jen Ashton on ABC programs until July 1.