For Health Care Providers

Collaborative, Evidence-Based Support for Women’s Hormonal Health

Dr. Shannon Lockhart provides referral-based consultation and education for women experiencing hormonal and metabolic transitions, including perimenopause, menopause, and related concerns affecting mood, sleep, cognition, and metabolism.

Her practice is designed to complement primary care, not replace it, providing extended consultation time, detailed investigation, and structured education that integrates with each patient’s ongoing primary care.

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When to Refer

This model is particularly valuable for patients who:

Experience persistent symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, mood change, or weight gain despite normal lab results
May be or are transitioning through perimenopause or menopause and would benefit from structured education and evidence-based management
Have overlapping hormonal, metabolic, and stress-related concerns (e.g., anxiety, early waking, insulin resistance, or midlife sleep disruption)
Would benefit from group-based education to support self-management and behavior change

Why Refer

Collaborative model: The family physician remains the primary provider for physical examination and ongoing care.
Specialist perspective: Dr. Lockhart brings expertise as a Consultant Anesthesiologist (MD FRCPC) with certification through the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFMCP) and certification in progress with The Menopause Society. Focus on evidence-based management strategies.
Education-driven: Patients receive structured teaching through virtual Group Medical Visits to understand hormonal physiology and lifestyle impacts, improving adherence and reducing repeat visits.
Clear communication: Consultation summaries and investigation results are shared directly with referring physicians to support continuity and co-management.

Conditions Well-Served by This Approach

This consultation model is designed to support patients whose hormonal symptoms are complex, overlapping, or persistent despite appropriate initial evaluation. The education-driven, physiology-based approach is especially effective when deeper investigation, clear interpretation, and structured teaching can meaningfully improve patient outcomes.

When This Model Adds Value

This service is well-suited for patients who:

Have persistent symptoms—fatigue, cognitive changes, sleep disturbance, vasomotor symptoms, weight changes—despite normal or inconclusive lab results.
Present with multifactorial concerns, where mood, sleep, menstrual patterns, metabolic shifts, and stress physiology interact in ways that are difficult to untangle in brief visits.
Are navigating the perimenopause or menopause transition and would benefit from clear explanations, individualized plans, and guidance around evidence-based options.
Need support with behavior change, where structured Group Medical Visit (GMV) programs bolster understanding, adherence, and long-term self-management.
Would benefit from a collaborative assessment, including interpretation of symptoms, discussion of treatment pathways, and support with patient education.

Clinical Areas of Focus

Common referral reasons include:

Perimenopause & Menopause: vasomotor instability, midlife sleep disruption, mood variability, cycle irregularity, cognitive changes.
Metabolic & Energy Concerns: weight gain or redistribution, insulin-resistance risk, midlife changes in body composition, chronic fatigue.
Sleep & Circadian Issues: insomnia patterns, early-morning awakenings, circadian rhythm drift, physiology-aligned sleep strategies.
Stress Physiology & Somatic Symptoms: chronic stress load, autonomic dysregulation, overlapping hormonal contributors.
Mood & Cognitive Symptoms: brain fog, irritability, emotional lability, decreased resilience across the hormonal transition.
Complex Presentations: patients with multiple mild abnormalities that do not meet disease thresholds yet significantly impact functioning and quality of life.

How This Approach Supports Your Work

This model is designed to complement the care provided by all health-care professionals:

Extended consultation time allows for comprehensive history taking, pattern recognition, and goal alignment.
Clear, evidence-based education helps patients understand their physiology and treatment options, improving shared decision-making and adherence.
Structured GMV programs provide accessible, MSP-covered education that reinforces behavior change and self-management.
Transparent communication ensures that recommendations and rationale are clearly relayed back to the referring provider, supporting coordinated, ongoing care.

This approach strengthens patient understanding, improves self-efficacy, and offers health-care providers a collaborative partner for women navigating complex hormonal transitions.

What to Expect

Initial Private Consultations

Comprehensive virtual consultation (private-pay) to review the patient’s history, current symptoms, and goals in depth. Billed at $350/h, pro-rated for time. Usually 60 mins.

Private Follow-Ups

As required or requested by patient. Billed at $350/h, pro-rated for time. Usually 30 mins.

MSP-Covered Group Medical Visits (GEMS)

Group Education & Multimodal Support (GEMS) sessions, a series of MSP-covered group medical visits deliver the foundational education and management strategies every woman can benefit from as she transitions toward menopause.

This blended model enables patients to receive individualized assessment followed by accessible, structured education and management within the public system.

Why Private-Pay Consultations

Currently, there is no MSP fee code that supports the extended, education-focused consultations needed for comprehensive hormonal assessment and counselling.

Private consultations make it possible to dedicate the necessary time while ensuring sustainability for a small, specialized practice.
The ultimate goal is to transition each patient into MSP-covered GEMS sessions, where the most valuable educational content can reach more women without financial barriers.

While private consultations are required to sustain this model of care, accessibility remains a priority. A small number of discounted appointments are reserved for women facing financial hardship, ensuring that cost is not a complete barrier to accessing education-based care.

Referral Process

Referrals are welcome from primary care providers and specialists across British Columbia.

Please fax referrals to: 778-729-1243

Patients may also request that their provider send a referral after reviewing the New Patients page.

You will receive a consultation summary and recommendations following the initial visit, as well as updates if the patient participates in ongoing GEMS sessions.