While menopause is a natural part of aging, it can cause sleep disruptions, skin changes, stress, brain fog, weight gain, hot flashes and other symptoms. If you are experiencing any symptoms of menopause or perimenopause, St. Luke’s University Health Network’s women’s healthcare providers want you to know you are not alone.
“We believe that women deserve support during this unfamiliar stage of their lives,” says Ann Freeman, DO, one of four physicians and two nurse practitioners at St. Luke’s who are certified menopause specialists.
Women can schedule a menopause visit with a women’s healthcare provider. “We often schedule these appointments for a full hour and spend time talking to patients about their concerns related to the changes their bodies are going through,” Dr. Freeman says. “We review ways to treat their menopause symptoms and guide them to options that will get them the most benefit.”
Oftentimes, Dr. Freeman says, diet and exercise can help with symptoms of perimenopause, which can last up to 10 years, and menopause, which is defined as no period for a full year. “But sometimes more is needed and there is a lot we can do,” Dr. Freeman says. “Some of the solutions we can offer go beyond general OB/GYN care including weight management, pelvic floor physical therapy, urogynecology and behavioral health.”
Menopause discussion groups
Women also are encouraged to attend “Menopause & Me” discussion groups where St. Luke’s menopause specialists are available to answer questions in a comfortable, small group setting. Two sessions have been scheduled for late this year and early next:
- Sleep and Mood Changes is the topic of the discussion to be held from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, November 11, in the Lower-Level Conference Room A and B at St. Luke’s Anderson Campus Medical Office Building at 1700 St. Luke’s Boulevard, Easton. Featured speakers will be John Illingworth, MSW, and Judith Illingworth, MSW. They will discuss how to sleep better in menopause.
- Weight Management and Nutrition is the topic for the discussion to be held from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, January 13, at St. Luke’s Valley GYN Associates, 322 South 17th Street, Allentown. Featured speakers will be Dorraine Salmon, lead outpatient dietitian, and Rosie Hulbert, fitness instructor. They will discuss how to stay fit and healthy in menopause.
Space is limited and registration is required. To register, visit go.sluhn.org/menopauseandme.
A Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) is a licensed healthcare professional who has undergone rigorous training and passed a demanding examination from The Menopause Society to demonstrate specialized knowledge in menopause and midlife women’s health, Dr. Freeman notes. In addition to Dr. Freeman, women’s healthcare providers at St. Luke’s who have earned the credential are:
- Gina Harper Harrison, MD
- Jennifer Landes, DO
- Douha Sabouni, MD
- Angie MacMillan, CRNP
- Valerie Schissler, CRNP
About St. Luke’s
Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network with annual net revenue of more than $4 billion. With 23,000+ employees at 16 hospital campuses and 350+ outpatient sites, it is the Lehigh Valley’s biggest employer.
The Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.
Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley’s first and only four-year medical school. It also operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 50+ fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 500+ residents and fellows.
St. Luke’s has been named a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital. It is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare’s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. In 2025, the Network earned straight A’s from Leapfrog across all of its 11 acute care hospitals. It has earned 100 Top Hospital designations from Premier 11 years in a row, including in 2021 when its flagship University Hospital was identified as THE #1 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.
Information provided to TVL by:
Sam Kennedy
