Expanding Hoag's renowned women's health offerings to improve the lives of women at all life stages with personalized, integrated care through prevention, wellness and treatment

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoag today announced the launch of the Hoag Menopause Program, an interdisciplinary, evidence-based approach to perimenopause and menopause care that comprehensively addresses the unique health concerns of women in midlife. The new offering empowers women with personalized care, expert guidance and innovative therapies to navigate the physical, hormonal and emotional changes experienced throughout menopause.

The Hoag Menopause Program brings together a dedicated, multidisciplinary team of specialty trained experts in endocrinology, gynecology, mental health and other areas. Our program includes certified menopause specialists through The Menopause Society, the international interdisciplinary medical society which sets the standard for evidenced-based menopause care. Hoag's collaborative team works together across the health system to ensure each woman receives a personalized care plan tailored to her individual health risks, needs and concerns.

For the past 18 months, more than 30 Hoag physicians from over 10 specialties have been meeting every month to share knowledge, review real patient case studies, and strengthen the network of specialists who care for women across the lifespan. Our ever-expanding council includes clinicians in OBGYN, urogynecology, urology, breast oncology, breast health, dermatology, weight management, rheumatology, neurology, and more.

To ensure that our physicians are always up to date, the program offers continuing medical education on the latest approaches to managing menopause through lectures, expert panels, and a monthly newsletter featuring case-based learning.

"For too long, menopause care has been overlooked and conversations long delayed, leaving women to navigate these significant changes with little support or guidance," said Allyson Brooks, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., Ginny Ueberroth Executive Medical Director Endowed Chair of the Hoag Women's Health Institute. "At Hoag, we are leading a paradigm shift and ensuring women have a comprehensive approach to hormonal health, from puberty to menopause."

The Hoag Menopause Program is designed to address health risks before they manifest. For example, women with a family history of heart disease may be referred to cardiology care well before menopause, when their risk of heart disease increases. Because cancer survivors often experience early menopause as a side effect of certain treatments, Hoag oncologists can integrate education and treatment into their care plan.

"Our goal is to ensure women feel informed, empowered and confident as they navigate this important stage of life," Dr. Brooks said. "We are committed to offering a comprehensive and personalized approach to care – from classic symptoms like hot flashes, sleep disturbances or mood changes, to guidance on long-term health and wellness. Hoag is leading a new way of addressing hormonal health."

The program is not limited to a single office or location, but rather is an integrated model of care that begins with a women's primary care physician or OB/GYN. These providers guide women to trusted, evidence-based resources and, when needed, connect them with Hoag specialists, including registered dieticians, exercise physiologists, mental health experts, sleep specialists, endocrinologists and more.

The team also helps women navigate mixed messages about hormone replacement therapy, as well as address concerns such as hair loss, sleep disturbances, sexual health and pelvic floor issues.

"We still hear conventional but outdated advice warning women away from hormone replacement therapy. But there are several hormone therapies that are approved by the FDA and backed by solid scientific research that have been shown to safely improve many aspects of women's health," said Heather Macdonald, M.D., menopause certified specialist and Medical Director of Hoag Early Risk Assessment Program for Breast Cancer. "Women deserve clear, trustworthy information and at Hoag we want to help guide women through these decisions with evidence to support their choices."

Recognizing trusted information should be available much sooner, Hoag, one of Southern California's leaders in women's health, is advancing a new standard of care that starts the conversation about menopause earlier and empowers women to understand and prepare for the changes ahead rather than after.

"Menopause doesn't simply happen at 51 – the average age in the U.S. It's the culmination of a much longer journey, with perimenopausal changes beginning 10-12 years earlier," Dr. Brooks said. "Recognizing this earlier phase is key to supporting women's health. We owe it to women to begin that conversation sooner and provide an evidence-based, personalized and comprehensive plan for maintaining their wellness for life."

Each year, thousands of women trust Hoag to help bring their babies into the world – a relationship that extends far beyond childbirth, from reproductive care and menopause to lifelong wellness. The Hoag Menopause Program addresses a significant time in a woman's life by providing whole person care.

"With the information we have today, it is time to chart a new course in women's health in this nation. There is so much we know now, so much that we can do. And it starts with having the conversation decades earlier than we traditionally have," said Dr. Macdonald. "It begins right after a woman is done having children. Menopause is part of reproductive health, and Hoag is proud to pioneer this critical, earlier start to this pivotal conversation."

To learn more about the Hoag Menopause Program or schedule an appointment, please call 949-764-7239 or visit Hoag Menopause Program.

ABOUT HOAG

Hoag is a nonprofit, regional healthcare delivery system in Orange County, California. Delivering world-class, comprehensive, personalized care, Hoag consists of 1,800 top physicians, 18 urgent care facilities, 13 health & wellness centers, and two award-winning hospitals. Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of healthcare services that includes seven institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, digestive health, heart and vascular, neurosciences, spine, women's health, and orthopedics through Hoag's affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and five ambulatory surgical centers. Hoag is the highest ranked hospital in Orange County by U.S. News & World Report and the only OC hospital ranked in the Top 10 in California, as well as a designated Magnet^® with Distinction hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). For more information, visit hoag.org.

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