Belonging Academic Workshops & Seminars
3rd Annual Culturally Responsive Communication Series
Perimenopause Unpacked:Stories of Health, Hope, and Well-Being
Wednesday March 25, 3:30-4:30 at CSB 112
Join us for a candid, culturally responsive panel discussion that brings forward the lived stories of women navigating perimenopause. Panelists will explore how communication with healthcare providers, cultural identity, and systemic inequities influence diagnosis, treatment, and overall well-being. Gain insight, language, and strategies to support health, hope, and self-advocacy during midlife transitions.
Key Topics
- Improving communication and reducing symptom dismissal through responsive care practices
- Honoring cultural wisdom and integrating culturally informed approaches to women's health
- Enhancing diagnostic accuracy by understanding the overlap between mental health and perimenopause
- Strengthening assessment through effective screening tools and accessible hormone testing options
- Promoting self-advocacy and understanding patient rights to improve healthcare outcomes
- Identifying and addressing provider bias to create equitable, respectful, and inclusive care
Learning Outcomes
After this event, attendees will be able to:
- Identify strategies for culturally responsive communication that reduce symptom dismissal, address provider bias, and strengthen women's sense of being heard and supported during perimenopause.
- Recognize language, approaches, and self-advocacy techniques that promote health, hope, and well-being for women navigating midlife transitions.
- Identify how systemic inequities shape perimenopause evaluation and highlight strategies to reduce bias in care.
Panelist
Liz Coleman, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, MSCP
Windom Area Health and Pause+Wellness Clinic
Perspective or topic to be presented: I began seeing more women in my practice with complex hormone‑related symptoms, which led me to pursue advanced training and become a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) so I could provide evidence‑based, individualized perimenopause care.
Annie Froehlich
Firefighter-Sergeant/First Responder, Mapleton Fire Dept
Executive Administrator - Dean's Office-MSU College of Business
Perspective or topic to be presented: Drawing from both her frontline service experience and her current personal journey navigating perimenopause and mental health, Annie brings a transparent, real-world perspective to conversations on midlife health, mental wellness, and advocacy for women.
Anitha Peddireddy, BDS, MDS, PhD, FAGD
Program director of MS-ADT at MSU and Assistant Professor
Perspective or topic to be presented: Personal experiences with perimenopause and menopause.
Lisa Putrah, M.S.
Communications Planner at Human Services of Faribault & Martin Counties
Department of Health Science Adjunct Instructor
Perspective or topic to be presented: During my graduate studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato, my research interests focused on understanding the obstacles that women often encounter when seeking support during perimenopause. My capstone paper, Free to Talk: Identifying Barriers to Open Communication About Menopause, explores social, workplace and healthcare factors that can impede open communication about menopause and perimenopause.
Sponsors
We would like to thank our sponsors for supporting this event.
- The College of Allied Health and Nursing
- Women's Center
Registration Now Open for the Culturally Responsive Communication Series
Continuing Education Credits CEUs
This training has been approved for 1 CEUs by the Minnesota boards of Social Work through the Center for Rural Behavioral Health at Minnesota State University, Mankato: CEP #2331.
The 2nd Annual Culturally Responsive Communication Series
Transgender Community and Healthcare
Join us for an impactful event designed to increase awareness of the lived healthcare experiences of the transgender community.
March 31st – Trans Day of Visibility
Ostrander Auditorium
- Tabling and Networking: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
- Panel Discussion: 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Sponsors
- The College of Allied Health and Nursing
- The Department of Social Work
- Kessel Peace Institute
- The Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
