Menopause Clinic Opens at BVI Hospital
The BVI Health Services Authority will open a Specialist Menopause Clinic at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital on September 4, providing dedicated assessment and treatment for perimenopause, menopause and related conditions. The clinic, led by certified specialist Dr Neveta Sutherland‑Vaccianna, will operate every Friday and offer hormone and non‑hormonal therapies along with wider health screening.
The BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) will launch a Specialist Menopause Clinic at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital on September 4, introducing dedicated menopause care into the territory’s public women’s health services for the first time. The clinic will operate each Friday and is led by consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Neveta Sutherland‑Vaccianna, who is a certified menopause specialist.
The BVIHSA said Dr Sutherland‑Vaccianna is the only certified menopause specialist practising in the Virgin Islands and one of only a handful in the Eastern Caribbean. The service will provide specialist assessments and treatment for women experiencing perimenopause, menopause and related health concerns.
The authority highlighted that menopause symptoms do not always begin with hot flushes; they can first appear as months of poor sleep, persistent fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, weight changes, low libido, vaginal dryness or painful intercourse. Such changes can affect work, relationships and everyday life.
Care will be individualised based on each patient’s symptoms, medical history, preferences and health risks. Treatment options may include menopausal hormone therapy (MHT or HRT) where appropriate, evidence‑based non‑hormonal therapies and lifestyle interventions. The clinic will also address associated issues including bone, cardiovascular, metabolic and sexual health.
Specialist management will be available for women who experience premature ovarian insufficiency, early menopause or surgical menopause, as well as those who enter menopause after chemotherapy, pelvic radiotherapy or treatment for gynaecological cancers. Operating from the territory’s main public hospital — the only accredited medical facility in the BVI — the clinic aims to provide a local, accessible place for women to have their symptoms assessed and treated.
Appointments will be available by referral or through the hospital’s outpatient services. The BVIHSA said the new clinic also seeks to challenge the longstanding view that women should simply accept menopause symptoms as part of ageing, stressing that symptoms which interfere with health, wellbeing or daily life deserve attention.
For BVI residents, the clinic represents an expansion of specialist services on island and a step toward more comprehensive midlife women’s healthcare. Patients should contact the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital outpatient department for referrals, appointments and further information.
Primary source: BVI News