Doylestown women
by Mary Beth Schwartz
One of the most important decisions a woman has to make is finding a gynecologist or obstetrician. Whether it is a young woman with her first annual exam, a new mom with a positive pregnancy test, or women with issues such as menopause, infertility, pelvic pain, fibroids, or endometriosis, many are depending on the expertise of the all-female medical team at Doylestown Women’s Health Center.
In business for 26 years, Doylestown Women’s Health Center gives individualized attention to every patient. With patients in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, as well as Bucks and Montgomery counties, the practice is up to date on cutting edge standards and practices. Just recently, the doctors added a new ultrasound machine to the office. This past March they also added a certified registered nurse practitioner, Kimberly Schea. And in August, they will be adding another physician to the practice, Dr. Zahra De Four.
Dr. Jean Fitzgerald is one of three additional physicians with Doylestown Women’s Health Center. She is an active staff member at Doylestown Hospital, and is a member of such organizations as the North American Menopause Society and the American Medical Association. Dr. Fitzgerald has been recognized for her work in the local community. She has received a Bucks County Woman of Achievement by the March of Dimes, and served on the Board of Directors for the Bucks County Department of Health, as well as Gilda’s Club Delaware Valley. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors for the Central Bucks Family YMCA. She is working with the Central Bucks Family YMCA on a pregnancy and exercise program. “Most women want to be as healthy as possible when they discover that they are pregnant. However, not everyone gets the time to address weight loss before pregnancy. Excess weight has an impact on the pregnancy, the fetus, and the mode of delivery,” Dr. Fitzgerald says. Over the years, the practice has delivered over 15,000 babies.
Joining Dr. Fitzgerald is Dr. Carolyn Ianieri. Also an active staff member of Doylestown Hospital, Dr. Ianieri is a member of the American Osteopathic Association and the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association. She is trained and certified in performing minimally invasive gynecologic da Vinci robotic surgery. With the system, the doctor uses a robotic laparoscopic system through a few small incisions less than one centimeter each. The da Vinci can be used for vaginal hysterectomies, laparoscopic hysterectomies, and advanced laparoscopic surgeries.
The third physician at Doylestown Women’s Health Center is Dr. Vivian Yeh. She is an active staff member at Doylestown Hospital. At the hospital, there is an entire wing devoted to obstetrics, where each patient has a private room. Doylestown Hospital can handle both low risk and high risk pregnancies. They have an intensive care nursery that is manned by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “When you are shepherding someone through a pregnancy, whether it is the first time or the fourth, complicated or low risk, it is truly is a miracle. A pregnancy is the most exciting thing and the most important thing that a woman is going to do in her lifetime,” Dr. Fitzgerald adds.
Doctors at Doylestown Women’s Health Center aim to give patients the best care possible. They work with a patient to avoid having a Cesarean section. If a C-section is necessary, they will help the patient to have a vaginal delivery for the second pregnancy. This is called vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC. “We are doing more VBACs. Our C-section rate at Doylestown Hospital is very low. We also have the lowest episiotomy rate at the hospital,” Dr. Fitzgerald notes. Unlike doctors from a generation ago, the doctors at Doylestown Women’s Health Center aim to manage patients medically versus surgically. “For example we can managing things that we know are going to get better once a person is through menopause. There is less negativity about hormone use. We can manage the symptoms of life so when the menopause completes itself these issues resolve themselves naturally,” Dr. Fitzgerald explains.
To make your first appointment with Doylestown Women’s Health Center, call 215-340-2229. They accept most insurance plans and also offer financing options. The office is located at 708 Shady Retreat Road, Suite 7, in Doylestown, PA. You can visit them at their website, www.doylestownwomenshealth.com, or like them on Facebook.
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Mary Beth Schwartz is a freelance writer who frequently contributes to regional publications.