Real Patients. Real Results.
When Donna Spirlet first started experiencing menopause about two years ago, she thought she would glide through this natural change of life. That was not the case when she developed a gynecological infection leading her to visit her gynecologist, Dr. Christian Pope.
Read Donna’s story here.
Kara Caron was approaching age 50 when she began to assess the gynecological care she needed as she neared menopause.
“I wanted to breeze through my menopausal age as gracefully as possible,” she said. “And I wanted an expert in that area.”
Read Kara’s story here.
The Region’s First Menopause & Wellness Program
We are proud to introduce the Southcoast Menopause & Wellness Program – the region’s first program dedicated to comprehensive, individualized care for women in their midlife and menopausal health transition.
The goal of our specialized program is to help you better understand your health during these times and to help medically manage midlife and menopausal conditions to improve your quality of life.
We understand that each woman experiences this time in their life differently. We have developed a dedicated collaborative team of providers whose goal is to help guide you through menopause safely and effectively.
Our team includes experts in gynecology and menopause, cardiovascular care, weight loss, osteoporosis, endocrinology, psychiatry and sexual therapy. We are excited to be the first collaborative menopause program in our region.
Comprehensive Women’s Care
Let our experts at Southcoast Menopause & Wellness Program help you navigate your menopausal years with ease and confidence. We provide care and treatment for patients located in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. You can join our program and make an appointment by calling 508-973-2208.
Menopause Services
Southcoast Health offers a variety a wide variety of services and treatments. You can view them all here.
- Comprehensive individualized consultation to evaluate symptoms and help determine options for treatment
- Weight management
- Sexual health counseling and review of treatment options
- Recommendations for preventative care involving bone health, gynecology, heart health and recommendations for cancer screening
Menopause Signs and Symptoms
Decreased libido/sexual interest
- Loss of libido is multifactorial around the menopausal years. Due to the loss of estrogen, the vaginal tissues thin and sex can become painful. Other emotional factors such as stress, depression and fatigue also play a role. Changes in your body can also impact your desire for sex.
Depression/anxiety/mood swings
- Mood changes can vary in perimenopause and menopause. Symptoms vary from mild irritability to severe depression, anxiety and rage. Increased stress is common during these years as well. Sleep disruption also worsens mood. If you are feeling like harming yourself or others, please reach out to your healthcare provider.
Fatigue/sleep disruption
- Many women experience sleep disruption during perimenopause and menopause. This is due to changing levels of estrogen, progesterone and cortisol. Sleep disruption is often due to night sweats, but also can happen without experiencing night sweats.
Hot flashes/night sweats
- Hot flashes are a sudden rush of heat and flushed skin often associated with sweating. If they occur at night they are known as night sweats. The thermoregulatory center is in the hypothalamus in the brain. The brain’s response to low estrogen levels is to cause a hot flash or night sweat, also known as vasomotor symptoms. Women can experience hot flashes for 7-10 years after their final period.
Osteopenia/osteoporosis
- Peak bone density occurs around age 30 in women. Bone loss happens gradually every year after that. Around the time of menopause, rapid bone loss occurs. Women need to make sure they are getting enough calcium, vitamin D and weight bearing exercise.
Painful intercourse/vaginal dryness
- Loss of estrogen causes thinning of all the tissues of the vagina and vulva. This can lead to a variety of symptoms such as burning and severe pain with intercourse.
Sore/achy joints
- Many women feel stiffness in their knees, feet, hands and hips during the menopausal transition. Menopausal hormone replacement can improve symptoms.
The Menopause Society is dedicated to starting conversations about improving women’s health and healthcare experiences. You can view their patient education resources here. You can view their free information sheets here to understand more about menopause.
Meet Our Team
Our team of dedicated health professionals from a range of specialties come together to create the Menopause and Wellness Program Team. With the same mission to help women in the south coast region navigate the challenges of menopause, these different specialties unite to address each aspect of this important life transition with compassionate care and expertise.
Barbara Soares, MD – Lead Physician
Dr. Soares specializes in OB/GYN and is MSCP certified. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Boston University School of Medicine and completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Learn more about Dr. Soares.
Melanie Chitas, WHNP
Melanie specializes in OB/GYN and is MSCP certified. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and was the project chairperson for the Mass Student Nurses Association. Learn more about Melanie.
Amy Medeiros, NP
Amy specializes in OB/GYN and is MSCP certified. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. She then furthered her medical expertise, earning her Master of Science as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Learn more about Amy.
Amy Anderson, DO
Dr. Anderson specializes in Endocrinology. She is board-certified in internal medicine and earned her medical degree in osteopathic medicine from Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine in Davie, Fl., where she also earned a Master of Public Health. Learn more about Amy here.
Dana D’Alessandro, LICSW
Dana is the Co-Director of Women’s intimacy and Sexual Health (WISH) Clinic. Learn more about Dana here.
Carolyn Davidson, MD
Carolyn Davidson, MD earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She then completed a combined focus residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and remained at Brown University for her fellowship in cardiovascular disease. Learn more about Dr. Davidson here.
Jessica Inwood, MD
Dr. Inwood specializes in Weight Loss and Weight Management. Dr. Inwood practices at the Southcoast Health Weight Management Center in Fall River and Wareham, where she specializes in Obesity Medicine. She is on the medical staff of Charlton Memorial Hospital. Learn more about Dr. Inwood here.
Maneet Kaur, MD, CCD, RhMSUS
Dr. Kaur is the Associate Medical Director of Medicine and Rheumatology. Dr. Kaur is also the Lead Physician of the Osteoporosis Clinic at Southcoast Health. Learn more about Dr. Kaur here.
Grace Kooper, MD
Dr. Kooper is the Director of Psychiatry. She earned her bachelor’s degree in human biology from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She continued her studies at Brown University and earned her Master of Science in Biochemistry. She then went on to earn her Doctor of Medicine from the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. Read more about Dr. Kooper here.
Maryanne Noris, MD
Dr. Noris specializes in Cardiology. She graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine, and then went on to complete a residency in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia and a fellowship in cardiology at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA. Read more about Dr. Noris here.
Laura Tenekjian, DPT PRPC
Laura is a Board-Certified Physical Therapist who specializes in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy from The University of New England and her Pelvic Rehab Practitioner Certification from The Herman and Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute. Learn more about Laura here.
Christian Pope, DO, FACOG
Dr. Pope is the Chief of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Program Director of the Southcoast Health Menopause & Wellness Program. He is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and MSCP certified. Learn more about Dr. Pope here.