Menopause Society receives US$5m for digital training

The Menopause Society has secured US$5m from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation to develop digital training for healthcare professionals.

The grant will fund the digital-innovation phase of the NextGen Now initiative, which aims to build a digital ecosystem using advanced technologies to improve education on women’s health in midlife.

Launched in June, the initiative plans to reach 25,000 healthcare professionals in three years through comprehensive training programmes.

The digital plan includes an integrated learning platform, virtual and augmented reality modules – immersive tools that simulate real clinical scenarios – and a mobile app.

Dr Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The Menopause Society, said: “We are deeply grateful and excited for the support of Alex Cohen and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation in our NextGen Now initiative.

“This commitment empowers us to continue advancing our mission and strategy while embracing new opportunities to expand our reach and influence.

“We look forward to building on this momentum and achieving even greater results together.”

The organisation notes that menopause – when periods stop and hormones change – affects millions of women annually but remains one of the most overlooked areas in medicine, with limited specialised training in current medical curricula.

The society offers a certification programme designed to enhance clinicians’ training and differentiate practitioners with specialised knowledge.

However, Dr Faubion says this alone does not compensate for gaps in medical education.

Dr Faubion said: “We have our certification programme that is designed to enhance clinicians’ training and differentiate them from other practitioners, but that by itself does not make up for the lack of specialised training provided in current medical curricula.

“NextGen Now will take participants to an entirely new level of real-world experience, supplemented with the most current research and best practices.”

The NextGen Now initiative is planned as a multiphase project spanning several years.

The organisation says additional funding is still needed, particularly for research and data collection components.

The Menopause Society has served as a non-profit, multidisciplinary organisation focused on women’s health during midlife transitions since 1989.

It provides resources for healthcare professionals, researchers, media and the public.