Photo courtesy of Dr. LaShonda Bailey
Key Points
- Dr. LaShonda Bailey is organizing the inaugural Menopause Awareness Summit on October 3 at Apopka Community Center to provide credible menopause information.
- The summit includes a panel of four healthcare professionals covering gynecology, primary care, pharmacy and mental health.
- Bailey aims for the event to become an annual resource and expand to year-round programs to support women's wellness.
“Is this menopause, or is something else happening to me?”
LaShonda Bailey, who holds a doctorate in health science, says she repeatedly hears that question from women describing brain fog, trouble sleeping, fatigue, mood and weight changes, hot flashes and changes in sexual desire.
For Bailey, an Apopka resident whose own experience with menopause helped inspire her doctoral research, those conversations underscore what she sees as a larger problem: Women can reach perimenopause and menopause without knowing what changes to expect or where to turn for information.
Bailey hopes to help close that gap through the inaugural Menopause Awareness Summit, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Apopka Community Center.
“Women want credible information,” Bailey said in a Sept. 15 email to The Apopka Chief. “They want to know what questions to ask. They want to understand their options, and they want to feel heard when they seek care.”
The summit, organized through Beating Heart Health for Women Foundation, will bring together four health care professionals representing gynecology, primary care, pharmacy and mental health.
The panel includes Dr. Joanna Dalton Ayoung, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with Orlando Health Physician Associates; Dr. Mrunal Patil, a board-certified family medicine physician with Prerna Health; Jessica “Dr. Jess” Johnson, a board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist; and Victoria Henry, a licensed mental health counselor with Live Light Counseling LLC.
Bailey said the range of specialties is intentional.
“One of the things I am most excited about is that women will not hear menopause discussed from only one clinical perspective,” she said. “Menopause affects the whole woman, and our panel reflects that.”
That approach also reflects Bailey’s own experience.
Bailey has worked in health care for more than 20 years, including health care leadership, regulatory and compliance work and teaching allied health. She holds a doctorate in health science, and her dissertation examined the emotional perceptions of weight gain among menopausal women who had undergone bariatric surgery.
Her research coincided with her own menopause experience.
“My first symptom was brain fog,” Bailey told The Chief in a July interview. As she researched what was happening to her, she said she became increasingly convinced that women needed more information to help them communicate with their health care providers.
She also experienced sleep problems, fatigue, weight changes and emotional changes. Her family’s medical history made her particularly cautious about treatment decisions. Bailey’s sister died of endometrial cancer in 2018, and Bailey said that history initially made her fearful of pursuing some treatment options.
She eventually sought medical care and researched her options. Bailey now encourages other women to ask questions and discuss their symptoms and treatment options with qualified health care professionals.
“The biggest message I want women to take away is that you do not have to suffer silently, and you do not have to figure this out by yourself,” Bailey said in her September update.
Bailey stressed that menopause care is “not necessarily one-size-fits-all.”
“Our goal is not to tell a woman what treatment she should choose,” she said. “Our goal is to give her information so she can have a more informed conversation with her own healthcare provider and advocate for herself.”
Since Bailey first spoke with The Chief in July, the event has attracted support from businesses and health care and wellness professionals. Bailey said three financial institutions with an Apopka presence have provided sponsorship support, while organizers are also discussing partnerships with nonprofit and community organizations.
One goal is to make the event accessible to women who otherwise might not be able to afford admission. Bailey said organizers are exploring whether community partners could sponsor attendance for women experiencing financial hardship.
Bailey, who lives in Apopka, said in July that she chose the city because it is her community and she wants the summit to become an annual Central Florida resource.
That vision has since expanded beyond a once-a-year gathering.
Bailey said she wants Beating Heart Health for Women to offer workshops, educational programs and community partnerships throughout the year addressing menopause and women’s wellness.
“My hope is that October 3 is not viewed as the finish line,” Bailey said. “It is the beginning.”
The inaugural Menopause Awareness Summit will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Apopka Community Center, 519 S. Central Ave. General admission is $75, while a table for eight is $500. Tickets are available through the summit’s registration page on Givebutter.