New center at Texas Children's Pavilion for Women sets high standards in menopausal care

HOUSTON - (March 13, 2013) - Texas Children's Pavilion for Women announces The Menopause Center, a practice dedicated solely to the care and treatment of women with menopause symptoms, conditions and related health issues. The practice is staffed by board-certified Baylor College of Medicine physicians with specialized proficiency in the latest menopause therapies, trends and research. The specialists at The Menopause Center devote their full-time attention and expertise to helping women through the menopause years, providing personalized treatment to improve patient health and quality of life.

Women at menopause age, as well as women who have chemotherapy-induced menopause, primary ovarian deficiency or menopause as a result of a surgical procedure, have a different set of health issues than younger women. The Menopause Center at Texas Children's Pavilion for Women is equipped with the capability to address all of these distinctive health concerns and supports the hospital's mission to provide comprehensive care throughout a patient's lifetime. The practice is co-directed by Dr. Lucy Puryear and Dr. Ronald Young, associate professors of obstetrics and gynecology at BCM, whose combined expertise addresses both mental and physical aspects of this stage of women's health. Puryear, medical director of The Women's Place: Center for Reproductive Psychiatry and a board-certified psychiatrist, specializes in women's reproductive mental health, including the treatment of depression, mood disorders and psychiatric conditions that result from changes in the body during perimenopause and menopause. Young, practicing gynecologist and former president of the Menopause Section of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, is a leading researcher and renowned specialist in hormone replacement therapy and the treatment of perimenopausal and menopausal women.

"The average woman spends about one third of her lifetime in menopause, facing the distinctive healthcare challenges that accompany the stages of reproductive aging," said Puryear. "It is important that we provide this group of patients with the care, treatment and guidance necessary to make this time of their lives enjoyable and to allow them to feel their best for years to come."

The Menopause Center at Texas Children's Pavilion for Women offers treatments for a wide variety of menopause symptoms from night sweats, sleeplessness and bladder irritability to depression, sexual dysfunction and pelvic floor disorders. Patients have access to a wide array of specialists in reproductive psychiatry, urogynecology, vulvovaginal health, hormone replacement therapy and gynecologic oncology.

"One of my favorite aspects of The Menopause Center is that we don't simply treat the symptoms and leave it at that - we help women improve the overall quality of their lives," said Young. "We do this by offering the screenings, immunizations and checkups needed to prevent disease and we educate women on the lifestyle habits necessary for healthy aging during the menopause years."

Located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, Texas Children's Pavilion for Women is designed to offer comprehensive care for women and offers a full range of obstetrical and gynecological services, beginning before conception and continuing after delivery. The 15-story, $575-million state-of-the-art Pavilion for Women is one of the few hospitals worldwide to offer a full spectrum of maternal and fetal medicine services including an array of fetal diagnostic procedures and highly specialized fetal surgeries. Level II and Level III NICU care is provided in 36 private rooms, four of which are specifically designed to accommodate multiples. A two-story circular sky bridge connects the Pavilion for Women to Texas Children's West Tower and Clinical Care facilities, enhancing patient care by providing physicians, staff and patient families with rapid access to all patient care facilities.

To schedule an appointment with physicians at The Menopause Center at Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, call 832-826-5281. For more information, visit women.texaschildrens.org/OBGYN-Practices/The-Menopause-Center.

About Texas Children’s Hospital

Texas Children’s Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Center for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, a second community hospital planned to open in 2017. The organization also created the nation’s first HMO for children, has the largest pediatric primary care network in the country and a global health program that’s channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.