A new Calgary initiative aims to improve care during a health journey that will impact about half the population. The Calgary Health Foundation is investing $120,000 into developing a strategy to shape the future of perimenopause and menopause care in Alberta. “Menopause is a universal condition for women and they shouldn’t have to seek specialist care in order to be treated for the symptoms they are experiencing,” said Paul Rossmann, Calgary Health Foundation president and CEO. The goal is to make people feel more comfortable and knowledgeable about the natural transition and its impacts on health. “(The goal is) making sure that the voices of solid evidence-based information are getting louder and all physicians have access to that care,” said Dr. Wendy Stefanek, a family physician in Calgary. Including help keeping up on advancements, since primary care providers cover a wide range of health topics and menopause has been widely understudied and underfunded. “There is a 25-year deficit in teaching menopause and perimenopause in universities across the country, which means you have a whole cohort of primary care providers who didn’t learn about this, who learned hormone replacement is scary and we shouldn’t do it, so as a result they are catching up,” said Kimberley Simmonds, Primary Care Alberta CEO. Fatigued Marlies Van Dijk was a busy career woman in her late 40s when she became so fatigued she felt like quitting her job… but felt brushed aside when she consulted her doctor. “She told me I should try exercising more and she didn’t believe in hormone replacement therapy,” said Van Dijk, who added that she has always exercised a lot and knew she needed to seek another opinion. “I knew to advocate for myself and find a new provider and I have heard people have to go to three or four different providers before they can get the attention they need,” said Van Dijk who said hormone replacement therapy ended up working well for her. She hopes the new plan provides access to the care everyone deserves. “Right now a lot of people go to private clinics but only one per cent of the population can afford that so we have a long way to go,” Van Dijk said. Primary and specialty care workers, community organizations and women who can share their personal experiences will help guide the strategy’s development. It’s expected to be released in February 2027.
