“Perimenopause presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get ahead of the health changes on the horizon. There are habits that, if adopted, can keep you strong and support the pursuit of a long and healthy life.”

“If you were born female, there’s likely a lot about your body that no one has explicitly taught you. It’s been this way for generations.”

— The New Perimenopause, Mary Claire Haver, MD

When perimenopause arrived for me, it didn’t tiptoe in… it barreled through like an eighteenwheeler. Overnight, my body and emotions felt unpredictable, and I lost my ability to string together a sentence, let alone a sentence with any depth. Sleep disappeared, weight crept up, and I genuinely feared I was losing my edge at work. I was convinced something was wrong with me. This stage had to mark the beginning of the end for me.

Once I started seeking knowledge and connection, I realized that so many women feel similarly isolated and disconnected from their bodies and past selves during menopause. More importantly, I discovered that I have agency. I can make choices that support my health, my clarity, and my ability to thrive joyfully in the future.

You have agency, too, and I hope you’ll join us to find out more!

Sincerely, Amanda Hart Miller

With the generosity of Capital Women’s Care and The Next Chapter Cafe & Bookshop, Prime Time for Women is proud to debut World Menopause Day in Washington County! 

World Menopause Day, observed annually in October, was established in 2009 by the International Menopause Society (IMS) to:

• Educate women, healthcare professionals, and communities about menopause.
• Reduce stigma and promote open dialogue.
• Highlight medical advances, research, and policy improvements.
• Encourage lifestyle and treatment options to improve quality of life.

World Menopause Day Celebration

The Next Chapter Cafe & Bookshop

October 17, 2026

9:30-2:00 pm

9:30-10:00 – Check-in: Coffee, Connections & Conversation

10:00-10:45 – Flipping the Script: From Fear to Freedom Bernadette Wagner 

11:00-11:45 – Medical Perspective: What’s Actually Happening Inside Me? Dr. Anusha Bhatia 

12:00-12:45 – Lunch: Sandwich wraps, salad, dessert, and drinks Catered by the Next Chapter Cafe & Bookshop

1:00-1:45 – Collaborative Zine Project  Amanda Hart Miller

Participants will use collage to create a zine page about the menopause experience. Your page, which can be anonymous, will be added to a collaborative project.

Tickets are available now and will sell out quickly! Your $10 ticket pays for all your sessions plus your lunch, thanks to a generous sponsorship from Capital Women’s Care. To purchase your ticket, click here.

Menopause is not the end of the journey… it’s the next chapter! Please join us for inspiration, information, connection, and collaboration!

About your presenters:

Anusha Bhatia, DO, FACOG

Dr. Bhatia is a Board-Certified OB/GYN originally from Michigan, trained at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and Tower Health Reading Hospital. She specializes in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, pelvic floor disorders, bladder incontinence, and high-risk obstetrics. She is an advocate for women’s healthcare and has a strong interest in midlife and menopausal health. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and family.

Bernadette Wagner

In her early-50’s Bernadette Wagner began studying the science of healthy aging. The scientific research confirmed what she had long suspected: when women get together, they are healthier, happier and better positioned to contribute to their communities. In 2018, she founded Prime Time for Women, Inc., a nonprofit, to celebrate, connect and empower women from diverse backgrounds and to encourage their exploration of new possibilities during the second half of life.

Growing up in a family of seven wonderful sisters with one incredible mother, she knows the power of strong, supportive female relationships and has benefited from them her entire life. Because of those relationships, she felt valued, needed and above all a tremendous sense of belonging. Bernadette founded Prime Time for Women so others, during the prime of life, could experience those same things.

Bernadette has always believed that women can attain far more together than what they can accomplish individually. For this reason, she seeks out opportunities to collaborate with other women, amplify their work and highlight their contributions.

Amanda Hart Miller

Amanda Hart Miller has a Master of Arts in Fiction Writing from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Publication Design (creative writing and graphic design) from University of Baltimore, and a Bachelor of English from Roanoke College. She works as a Professor of English at Hagerstown Community College, where she has taught creative writing and served as the faculty advisor for the Hedge Apple literary magazine for 15 years.  Additionally, Amanda founded Proof Rock Developmental Editing and Publishing to offer emerging and established writers a variety of creative writing consulting services, developmental editing plans, and publishing services.

She is currently working on the 2026 Menopause Creative Collection, a series of works of fiction, nonfiction/memoir, poetry, and B&W art that communicate subversively, intimately, and joyously about women (as broadly defined) entering the third act of life.