Merideth Prevost, MD

Board-Certified Internal Medicine Physician | Founder, Rising Performance Health, LLC

9:10 – 10:10
The Zone of Chaos and Beyond: Understanding and Treating Perimenopause and Menopause, presented by Merideth Prevost, MD

Dr. Merideth Prevost is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician who trained at the UNM School of Medicine and has practiced in New Mexico since 2010. A Professor of Medicine at UNM Hospital, she is also the founder of Rising Performance Health, LLC, where she focuses on personalized primary care, hormonal health, longevity, functionality, and overall wellness.

Workshop Description: To educate women on the underlying physiology of female hormones and how that relates to changes we experience in perimenopause and menopause. Explain the impact of hormonal changes to physical and mental health. Discuss evidence-based treatment options, including hormone replacement, other medications, and lifestyle modifications. Provide specific talking points that women can take to their doctors to advocate for the care they need.

Susan Rhoades, PT, DPT

Physical Therapist | UNMH Eubank Women’s Health Clinic

Michelle Parra, PT

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist | UNMH Eubank Women’s Health & Senior Health Clinics

10:20 – 10:55
Protecting Our Future Selves with Exercise from the Physical Therapy Perspective. Presented by Susan Rhoades, PT, DPT, and Michelle Parra, PT

Susan Rhoades is a Physical Therapist at UNMH’s Eubank Women’s Health Clinic with 15 years of experience specializing in pelvic dysfunction. Her work includes helping women address chronic pain, urinary leakage, fatigue, bowel changes, pelvic organ prolapse, and sexual changes. Susan is passionate about helping women use exercise and healthy lifestyle choices to manage peri/menopause-related changes and support long-term health. She will co-present “Protecting Our Future Selves with Exercise from the Physical Therapy Perspective.”

Michelle Parra has been a pelvic floor therapist for 17 years and joined UNMH in January 2026, treating patients at the Eubank Women’s Health Clinic and Senior Health Clinic. She works with patients across the lifespan and brings a strong interest in active living and the musculoskeletal changes associated with menopause. Michelle enjoys running, hiking, swimming, and biking and brings both professional expertise and personal perspective to this stage of life. She will co-present.

Workshop Description: We will discuss common changes in the aging body, including urinary incontinence, constipation, posture & ergonomics, fatigue, sleep, and osteoporosis. We will present why exercise is so helpful for the aging body and what exercises are considered best for bone health based on the most current research.

Jess Brown, RD, MS, CSSD, CEDS-C

Registered Dietitian | Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics | Founder & CEO, The Well Collective, LLC

10:55 – 11:30
The Power on Your Plate by Jess Brown, RD, MS, CSSD, CEDS-C

Jess Brown is a Registered Dietitian and Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics with more than 18 years of experience in clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, women’s health, and emotional eating. She is the founder and CEO of The Well Collective, LLC in Albuquerque and host of the Fuel Her Awesome podcast. Her work brings together nutrition science, behavior change, and the psychology of food. During “The Power on Your Plate,” Jess will share science-backed nutrition strategies to support bone, brain, heart, muscle, mood, and metabolic health throughout perimenopause, menopause, and beyond.

Workshop Description: Perimenopause and menopause mark the beginning of a new chapter—not the beginning of the end. In this seminar, you’ll discover how nutrition can help nourish and harmonize your next chapter by protecting your bones, brain, heart, muscles, mood, and metabolic health during hormonal transition. You’ll learn practical, science-backed strategies to reduce symptoms, build resilience, and feel empowered to make nutrition decisions that support both how you feel today and tomorrow.