The Menopause Hub – Ireland’s First Dedicated Menopause Clinic
by
Anna Mooney.
Loretta Dignam, a regular Irish woman (except that she’s also a marketing powerhouse), experienced first-hand the frustrations of Menopause just before she hit her fifties.Here's what she did about it.....
Loretta Dignam used her own menopause experience to good effect - she set out to bring Bio-identical hormones to Irish women
Loretta Dignam is a regular Irish woman. She also happens to be something of a marketing powerhouse (her resume pops with global brand names and progressive initiatives). So when she experienced first-hand the frustrations of Menopause just before she hit her fifties, she struggled with it, tried very hard, as many women do, to “work through it”, and then resolved to do something about it. Something big. She took those three years of angst - and the answers she found - to create The Menopause Hub, Ireland's first and only dedicated menopause clinic. (Cue rapturous applause from the team here at My Second Spring.)
Menopause needs Tailored solutions
The Menopause Hub opened its doors last month in Dublin's Mount Merrion suburb. It is just the start. Initially, a Dublin based clinic and a Private Health Care facility, Loretta's vision is that the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) will get behind the initiative, and Menopause Hubs will open in Cork, Limerick, and Galway, and from there, further branches will open up across Dublin. "Our goal is for women in Ireland can have access to the kind of a specialized menopause service we should have had years before now".
Ensuring that women understand what's going on with their bodies underscores the Menopause Hub approach. Women who attend the clinic will be provided with a thorough explanation of menopause and what it means for their daily lives and their health, both short and long term, then a straightforward outline of all the treatment options available, and a personalized tailored treatment programme.
So what can a Menopause Hub visitor expect? For a start, consultations with two of Ireland's leading women's health specialists, Doctors Deirdre Lundy, and Ornaith Cafferty on how to manage troublesome menopause symptoms - from physical symptoms like night sweats and hot flushes to vaginal atrophy and anxiety or depression. An impressive range of options to treat those symptoms: conventional HRT, bio-identical HRT, lifestyle management. The clinic has a range of support services including physitherapy, acupuncture, and counselling specific to women's health.
We say Hallelujah! And wish Loretta and the experts at The Menopause Hub the success they deserve.
Want to know more about Bio-identicals? read Aisling's post on Jeanette Winterson's experience here
Meet the Menopause Hub's Experts
- Dr Ornaith Cafferty is a graduate of the National University of Ireland and a GP. She combines her GP experience with a focus on women's’ health and menopause. Dr Cafferty holds Memberships in General Practice and Diplomas in Womens’ Health, Child Health and Care of the Elderly. She is currently a member of the Irish College of General Practitioners, a registered LARC tutor, a member of the Irish Association of Sexual & Reproductive Health Care Professionals
- Barbara Mullally is a Chartered Physiotherapist and a member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists with over 30 years of experience. She holds a Master’s degree from University College Dublin in Sports Physiotherapy. She is a member of the Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association and has been practising acupuncture for over 10 years. Barbara has worked in the Blackrock Clinic and St Vincent's Private Hospital, as well as the public sector. She was instrumental in establishing a novel approach in community care, a concept that earned an Irish Healthcare Award. She has a special interest in Women's Health and particularly in holistically combining physiotherapy with acupuncture.
- Michele Pippet graduated from UCD with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and from TCD with a Diploma in Counselling. Michele worked for many years in the field of fitness, health, and well-being before specializing in the area of women’s health in 2003. She has worked with both the Dublin Well Woman Centre and The Irish Family Planning Association and has extensive experience working with women facing different life stage challenges - crisis pregnancy, fertility issues, menopause, stress, anxiety, bereavement, depression and relationship issues. Michele is passionate about promoting women’s health and supporting them in the challenges they face. Michele is a fully accredited member with the IACP.
Ready to talk?
Contact The Menopause Hub website https://www.themenopausehub.ie
Visit the clinic at Medical Centre, 31 The Rise, Mount Merrion, Co. Dublin, A94 E0C1 or call them on 003531-210 7948 or 00353 83 062 8141
