Celebrating 20 years of menopause education

This year marked the 20th anniversary of Menopause Education Day, a unique annual event hosted by Sinai Health’s experts in menopause and women’s health. The day is dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of menopause among health-care practitioners. Sinai Health is the only integrated health system in the country to host such an event.

Nearly 600 physicians and other care providers from across the country attended the virtual event. This broke previous attendance records, which began in the low 200s when the event first launched.

For event moderator Dr. Wendy Wolfman, director of the Centre for Mature Women’s Health, this increase is a testament to the changing tide when it comes to prioritizing education around women’s health needs.

“I think there's more interest in menopause now than ever. One reason is changing demographics,” she explains. “Another is the fact that menopausal hormone therapy has been found to be safe in women from their late 40s to 60s. That’s a group of women who tend to have a lot of symptoms of menopause, and physicians really feel that they need to know more about the therapy. Yet another is the discovery of the actual physiology of hot flashes. That's changed the respect that people have for the conditions of menopause.”

The conference delivered a broad range of informed, relevant and engaging content through an expert-led series of sessions on hormone therapies, sexual health, care of urinary tract infections, pelvic floor dysfunction, cancer screening, sleep issues, weight management and more. There was also a panel discussion that addressed questions from attendees, hosted by Sinai Health’s division of mature women’s health members, Drs. Wendy Wolfman, Lindsay Shirreff, Michelle Jacobson and Marie Christakis.

Sinai Health's thought leadership in menopause is reflected in this 20-year legacy, and it’s one we plan to continue to build. There simply aren’t enough experts in menopause and women’s health challenges, and not enough training opportunities for those who would be.

Education is therefore a key pillar of the $50-million goal to establish the Centre for Mature Women’s Health. For example, donor funds have created a game-changing endowed fellowship program, which will provide a stable source funding for promising trainees now and well into the future. This is what’s needed to help close the gaps in care around women’s health, and donors are playing a key part.

As we celebrate 20 years of Menopause Education Day, we look forward to the next chapter in prioritizing education in women’s health and menopause care as the campaign continues to unfold. Click here to support the campaign.