The (M) Factor NextGEN Draws Over 400 Attendees for Urgent Conversation on Perimenopause Care, Policy and Systems Change

Healthcare, policy, workplace and global leaders call for earlier action, coordinated solutions and culturally responsive support

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, June 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- More than 400 people joined live for The (M) Factor NextGEN Impact Report, a virtual event bringing together leading voices in healthcare, policy, workplace well-being and global advocacy to examine how systems must evolve to better support women during perimenopause and throughout midlife.

The June 23 event marked the release of the NextGEN Report, created to help inform healthcare and policy decisions for future generations.
Executive producers and producers Tamsen Fadal and Jo LaMarca Mathisen, together with executive producer and moderator Denise Pines, led an action-focused discussion addressing the need for more responsive clinical care, stronger cross-sector coalitions, culturally relevant global solutions and workplaces where midlife women can thrive.

“This is what NextGEN is about: listening earlier, acting sooner and ensuring the next generation does not have to navigate perimenopause alone,” said Tamsen Fadal.

“Awareness has opened the door,” said Jo LaMarca Mathisen. “Our responsibility now is to build healthcare, policy and workplace systems women can actually use.”

Pines emphasized that lasting progress will require leaders to move beyond isolated programs and toward coordinated action.
“No single sector can solve this alone,” said Denise Pines. “Progress comes when healthcare, policy, employers and communities move forward together.”

Creating a Better Clinical Conversation
Dr. Sarah Foster Richina, director of the UPMC Magee-Womens Midlife Health Center and assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, brought clinical clarity to what better perimenopause care can look like in practice. (Department of OBGYN)

Her remarks highlighted the importance of replacing transactional healthcare encounters with genuine two-way dialogue—conversations that help patients feel heard, support informed decision-making and lead to practical next steps.
“Better perimenopause care begins with a genuine two-way conversation—one that leads to understanding, shared decisions and a clear next step,” said Dr. Foster Richina.

Turning Individual Efforts Into Policy and Systems Change
Kathryn “Katie” Schubert, president and CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research, underscored the importance of building strong coalitions across healthcare, research, employment, government and advocacy. (Society for Women's Health Research)

Her perspective reinforced that significant expertise and resources already exist, but their impact will remain limited unless organizations coordinate their efforts and work toward shared goals.

“We already have expertise and resources across sectors,” said Schubert. “By aligning them around shared goals, we can turn individual efforts into lasting systems change.”

Designing Solutions for Women Around the World
Jennifer Barsky, founder and executive director of MenoGlobal, brought forward the experiences of women who are too often excluded from mainstream menopause conversations. (Menoglobal)

Barsky emphasized that effective global systems cannot rely on a single model of care. Better outcomes require culturally relevant, community-specific and locally responsive approaches designed around women’s lived realities.

“Equity means meeting women where they are and designing support around their culture, community and lived reality—not expecting one model to work everywhere,” said Barsky.

Building Workplaces Where Midlife Women Can Thrive
April Haberman, CEO and co-founder of MiDOViA, brought the workplace into sharp focus, outlining how employers can begin from where they are today while building toward becoming true centers of excellence for midlife women. (MiDOViA)

Her remarks emphasized practical education, informed leadership, supportive policies and organizational cultures in which women experiencing perimenopause and menopause are understood, valued and empowered to remain and advance in the workforce.

“Employers do not need to have every answer to begin,” said Haberman. “They can take meaningful steps now and build workplaces where midlife women are understood, supported and able to thrive.”

From Awareness to Early Action
Across each area of discussion, speakers returned to a central message: awareness alone is not enough.

Improving outcomes will require earlier recognition of perimenopause, better-prepared clinicians, informed patients, coordinated policy leadership, culturally responsive global strategies and employers willing to translate commitment into practical support.

The NextGEN conversation called on healthcare leaders, researchers, employers, policymakers and advocates to break down silos and build systems that respond to women earlier, more equitably and more effectively.

The NextGEN Impact Report is available at www.TheMFactorFilms.com.

A recording of the event is available at Watch Here.
https://events.zoom.us/ejl/AiHMGXWMrfAIcPw7Gp8XuB66NSo_QDsgofdynBUc7UQ9VIbB1FQj~A6RS2Y9juDfgtYJ6-GDoaVWLkzPNvMo_l-GzM4vGHQG2uPKbDX-eAOnOOa-6ZjN1o39-oVrkFtKg9wyXosot-Ls6ddUWaQ8hcw9rY-M9A/RW9VVRBKTbyBE9U90jz8Rg/video/uSJOraG3RqyHL1mxjem3cQ?_dlaccessid=4uRniQ-3Tqy4sjoqSrTsxA&directLinkOpen=1

About The (M) Factor NextGEN
The (M) Factor NextGEN is focused on turning awareness into earlier action and helping inform healthcare, workplace and policy decisions for future generations. Through cross-sector dialogue and community engagement, the initiative elevates the clinical, cultural, economic and systemic changes needed to better support women during perimenopause and beyond.

About The (M) Factor
The (M) Factor began as a groundbreaking documentary series that brought menopause and perimenopause into the open. It has since grown into a mission-driven organization advancing women’s midlife health through research, education, storytelling, and community engagement—connecting women, employers, healthcare providers, and advocates to ensure these life stages are met with knowledge, resources, and equity. www.themfactorfilms.com

Ginger Campbell
Snap Productions
+1 323-933-4155
ginger@snap-productions.com
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