The BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) has announced it will launch a Specialist Menopause Clinic at Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital on September 4, 2026. Photo: Hello Magazine/File

The Specialist Menopause Clinic at Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital will be led by Dr Neveta Sutherland-Vaccianna, Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Certified Menopause Specialist. Photo: BVIHSA

The Specialist Menopause Clinic will operate every Friday from September 4, 2026, at Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital. Photo: VINO

The clinic, according to a press release from the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) on August 18, 2026, will be led by Dr Neveta Sutherland-Vaccianna, Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Certified Menopause Specialist. She is currently the only certified menopause specialist practising in the Virgin Islands and one of only a handful in the Eastern Caribbean.

For some women, menopause does not begin with the familiar hot flush. It may first show up as months of poor sleep, persistent fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, weight changes or simply not feeling like themselves. Others may experience low libido, vaginal dryness or painful intercourse. These changes can begin during perimenopause and, for some women, can take a toll on work, relationships and everyday life.

Individualised care

BVIHSA said the new clinic will give women a dedicated place to have those concerns assessed and to understand whether the changes they are experiencing may be linked to menopause.

Care will be individualised, the press release stated, taking into account each woman’s symptoms, medical history, personal preferences and health risks. Treatment may include Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT/HRT) where appropriate, as well as evidence-based non-hormonal therapies and lifestyle interventions. The clinic will also address bone, cardiovascular, metabolic and sexual health.

Specialist management will be available for women experiencing premature ovarian insufficiency, early menopause and surgical menopause. The clinic will also care for women experiencing menopause following chemotherapy, pelvic radiotherapy or treatment for gynaecological cancers, BVIHSA stated.

Changing the perspective

Beyond treatment, BVIHSA said it wants the clinic to help change a long-held view that women should simply accept menopause symptoms as part of getting older. While every woman’s experience is different, symptoms that begin to interfere with health, wellbeing and daily life deserve attention.

The Specialist Menopause Clinic will operate every Friday from September 4 at Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital. Appointments will be available by referral or booking through the hospital’s outpatient services.

"For women who have been living with unexplained changes in how they feel, sleep or function from day to day, the launch of the clinic offers something important: a place to ask whether menopause may be the reason and, importantly, what can be done about it," BVIHSA said.