Dr. Heather Hirsch is an internal medicine physician, specializing in women’s health and menopause care. She received her MS from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, University at Buffalo, and her MD from SUNY Upstate Medical University. She completed her residency with a women’s health track at UH Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve and then a fellowship in women’s health at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She is also a NAMS certified Menopause Practitioner. Prior to joining the BWH, Dr. Hirsch was an assistant professor at The Ohio State University and practiced at the Center for Women’s Health, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center where she also served as director of women’s health education.
Since joining BWH, Dr. Hirsch primarily focuses on the education and treatment of symptomatic perimenopause and menopause. Her clinical focus extends to conditions primarily affected by women in midlife including bone health, menopause care of the cancer survivor, sexual dysfunction, painful intercourse, and the monitoring of chronic disease development at the time of menopause. Dr. Hirsch is proficient in many office-based gynecologic procedures that help in the diagnosis or treatment of these conditions.
Dr. Hirsch is an avid educator and has given several regional and national talks on the importance of recognizing and treating menopause to a wide range of medical subspecialties. She has also served on the educational board of NAMS. Much of her educational focus surrounds expanding the clinical experience and education for the medical student, resident and fellow. Dr. Hirsch’s research focuses on addressing the clinical gaps in women’s health care at midlife and menopause, and in clinical innovations in menopause education and treatment. She was most recently awarded the top poster prize at the NAMS 2019 annual meeting for her research on metabolomic changes related to the use of hormone therapy in the Women’s Health Initiative.
Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Associate Physician, Division of Women’s Health, Department of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Instructor in Medicine
Dr. Hirsch is interested in clinical innovations in the delivery of women’s health education both for the patient and for the physician, as well as in the treatment of symptomatic midlife and menopausal conditions.
Hirsch HD, Shih E, Thacker HL. ERAAs for menopause treatment: Welcome the ‘designer estrogens’. Cleve Clin J Med. 2017 Jun;84(6):463-470. Review. PMID:28628428
Shih E, Hirsch H, Thacker HL. Medical management of urinary incontinence in women. Cleve Clin J Med. 2017 Feb;84(2):151-158. Review. PMID:28198687
Foreman H, Weber L, Thacker HL. Update: A Review of Women’s Health Fellowships, Their Role in Interdisciplinary Health Care, and the Need for Accreditation. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2015 May;24(5):336-40. PMID: 25884348
Previously authored publications using the name: Foreman H.
Research Program of the Division of Women’s Health
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
75 Francis Street, Boston MA 02115