WBA: Women's Health Panel

Women's Health Panel: Empowering Women Through Knowledge & Conversation

Join us on July 14th for an engaging and informative Women's Health Panel featuring five local healthcare professionals from a variety of specialties. This unique event is designed to provide valuable insights, answer common questions, and encourage meaningful conversations about the health topics that matter most to women.

Whether you're looking to learn more about preventative care, wellness, nutrition, mental health, hormonal health, or overall well-being, our panelists will share their expertise and perspectives in a welcoming and educational setting.

Event Schedule:

• 8:30 AM – Check-in and breakfast open
• 9:00 AM – Panel discussion begins promptly
• 10:30 AM – Formal program concludes
• 10:30–11:00 AM – Optional networking and opportunity for follow-up questions with panelists

This event is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow women in our community, gain practical health insights, and engage directly with trusted local healthcare professionals.

We encourage attendees to bring their questions and join us for a morning of education, empowerment, and connection.


Meet the Panelist: 

Hajira Yasmin, M.D., FACOG, IF, MSCP, AASECT-CSC
Hajira Yasmin, M.D., FACOG, IF, MSCP, AASECT-CSC, is a board-certified OB-GYN with more than two decades of clinical experience and specialized expertise in menopause care and women’s sexual medicine. She is an AASECT-certified Sexuality Counselor and a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, with advanced training through the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health and postgraduate training in sexuality counseling from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Dr. Yasmin specializes in the care of women across the hormonal lifespan, including trying to get pregnant phase- (preconception phase), perimenopause, menopause, hormone balance, sexual dysfunction, vulvovaginal disorders, vulvar and vaginal pain, vulvar skin conditions, pelvic pain, and general gynecology.
Presentation Topic
From Fertility to Menopause: Understanding Your Hormonal Journey
Have you ever wondered why the same woman may feel energetic, resilient, and steady in her 20s and 30s, then begin experiencing anxiety, insomnia, weight changes, hot flashes, or shifts in mood and desire in her 40s? The answer often lies in the natural changes taking place in her hormones.
In this engaging talk, Dr. Yasmin will guide attendees through the hormonal journey from the reproductive years through perimenopause and menopause. She will explain how hormonal shifts can affect energy, sleep, mood, weight, sexual health, and overall well-being—and offer insight into how women can better understand and advocate for their health during each stage of life.

Dr. Courtney Barrett, DO
Dr. Courtney Barrett, DO, is the physician and co-founder of True Insight Direct Care, a membership-based primary care practice she founded alongside her husband and business partner, Jeff, to serve the Wake Forest community through longer appointments, personalized care, and a preventive, relationship-centered approach to medicine. She earned her bachelor's degree from Florida Southern College, her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, and completed her Internal Medicine residency at Western Michigan University. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and trained in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, she has a special interest in nutrition, metabolic health, body composition, and helping patients build the foundation for healthier, more engaged lives.
Having lived on both sides of the stethoscope, Dr. Barrett brings both professional expertise and personal insight to her approach to medicine. She believes the best healthcare doesn't simply react to disease—it identifies trends early, uncovers root causes, and helps patients make proactive changes that can prevent illness or lessen its impact. Passionate about investing in the health of the Wake Forest community, she is committed to helping individuals and families maximize both their lifespan and their healthspan—the years they are able to live with strength, energy, independence, and purpose.
Presentation topic: Beyond the Scale: Muscle, Metabolism, & More!
In a culture that often equates "skinny" with healthy, Dr. Barrett will explore what science tells us really predicts long-term wellness. Learn why body composition—not simply body weight—plays a critical role in metabolic health, bone density, mobility, resilience, and healthy aging, and why muscle is one of the most powerful investments women can make for their future.
Whether you're in your 20s building peak bone density, navigating pregnancy or perimenopause, or simply striving to stay strong and healthy through every stage of life, this discussion will provide practical, evidence-based strategies to build muscle, minimize disease-promoting fat mass, protect your bones, and rethink what it truly means to be healthy. The choices you make today influence not only how long you live, but the quality of those years—helping you maintain strength, independence, vitality, and the ability to continue doing the things you love throughout life.

Latonja Ivery, MD
MD- UNC Chapel Hill
Residency- Franklin Square Hospital Center, Family Medicine
BS- Wake Forest University
Diplomate- American Board of Family Medicine
Presentation Topic: Advocating for your own health and body! 
Special interest in Women’s and Adolescent health