Join our conversation
In person
If you are unable to join with the below options, there will be a physical space reserved in the Foundation for Health Care Quality’s Seattle office to participate in the virtual meeting at the below address:
Industrious 400U @ Rainier Square
400 University Street
Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98101
Online
Background
Each year, about 1.3 million individuals enter menopause, yet over one-third with symptoms go undiagnosed.[i] Fewer than 20% are identified before menopause, and rural residents facing greater barriers to treatment.[ii] Symptoms often affect daily life, and appropriate screening and management is crucial for long-term health. On average, women spend more of their lives in poor health, and addressing gender gaps in care could boost the global economy by over $1 trillion by 2040.[iii] Whole-person care for the transition through menopause includes identifying peri/menopause early, using shared decision-making to guide treatment decisions, and screening and monitoring practices for whole-person midlife health, including cardiometabolic health, bone density, mental health concerns, urogenital and sexual health, thyroid and cancer screening, etc. Clear, evidence-informed perimenopause and menopause care guidelines could improve outcomes and quality of life in Washington state
| Next Meeting | Time | Materials |
| Jan 14th, 2026 | 2:30-4:00pm | Please see below |
Meeting Materials
| Date | Materials |
| January 14th | January Agenda Draft Charter Draft Workplan |
| February 11th | February Agenda January Minutes Draft Workplan / Evidence Table |
| March 11th | March Agenda February Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| April 8th | April Agenda March Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| May 13th | May Agenda April Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| June 10th | June Agenda May Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| July 8th | July Agenda June Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| August 12th | August Agenda July Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| September 9th | September Agenda August Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| October 14th | October Agenda September Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| November 11th | November Agenda October Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| December 9th | December Agenda November Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| January 13th, 2027 | January Agenda December Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
Workgroup Members
| Name | Title | Organization |
| Nicole Saint Clair, MD, FACOG (chair) | Executive Medical Director | Regence |
| Cyndi Tefft | Global Benefits Governance Manager | Microsoft |
| Kristina Petsas, MD, MBA, MLS | Chief Medical Officer – Commercial (Employer & Individual) – PNW, AK, HI | United Healthcare |
| Karin Inderbitzin, RN, BSN | Occupational Nurse Consultant | Clinical Quality and Care Transformation | Employee and Retiree Benefits Division | Washington Health Care Authority |
| Janice Tufte | Health Systems Research and Quality Improvement Patient Collaborator | Hassanah Consulting |
| Josephine Young, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAP | Medical Director, Commercial Markets | Premera |
| Laura Marie MacPherson, MSN | Director of Maternity Programs | Molina |
| Drew Oliveira, MD, MHA | Medical Director | Washington Health Alliance |
| Naomi Busch, MD | Foundation and Director | Seattle Menopause Medicine |
[i] Society for Women’s Health Research. (2024, February). Menopause fact sheet [PDF]. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://swhr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/swhr_factsheet_menopause_rev_0222-1.pdf
[ii] Dwyer, E. R., Maki, P. M., Katz, R., Mallampalli, M. P., & Reed, S. D. (2025). Menopause symptom burden and management across rural, suburban, and urban settings in a U.S. population. Menopause, 32(1), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002454
[iii] McKinsey Health Institute. (2024, January 17). Closing the women’s health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/closing-the-womens-health-gap-a-1-trillion-dollar-opportunity-to-improve-lives-and-economies