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Operating Off icer and Chief Medica l Officer at Crouse Health. "While technol- og y continues to change and improve, our culture of caring for patients and the development of compassionate expertise among our physicians is what really dif- ferentiates us." This expertise encompasses a wide range of service lines that must be properly coordinated so that patients receive the care they need, when they need it. "We have a strategic service line direc- tor for women's health, and her role is to help coordinate a ll the services we perform within a women's health frame- work," Dr. Kronenberg says. " We don't want women accessing health care in a fragmented way, so our goal is to have sea m le s s c om mu n ic at ion b et we en patients and providers to ensure women's specific needs are always met." As part of these efforts, Crouse Health educates women on the importance of their health, including the need to take interest and action when it comes to their personal health and well-being. "Prioritizing themselves is one of the biggest barriers women face when it comes to their health care," Dr. Berry says. "Some women say they put others' needs above their own or don't have the time to see a cardiologist, but if they have untreated hypertension and experience a stroke, how will they help their families? The best way women can help loved ones is to help themselves." NAVIGATING CARE If patients have a complex condition, they may require the attention of providers from multiple departments. Patients can rely on the help of nurse navigators to ensure they know which physicians to see and at what time. Nurse navigators help information flow between providers and service lines, though the providers stay in constant communication with one another as well. "Since we a re a ll pa r t of the sa me group, we can easily call each other at a ny time," says Had ley Na rins, MD, fellowship-trained, board-certified female urology specialist at Associated Medical Professionals and Crouse Health. "We " Our vision of women's health care has changed dramatically, even in the past five years. What we're seeing now is that women are very different from men and have different needs, and we make sure to incorporate this in our thought process as we provide care, no matter the subspecialty. In this way, we can make it a lot easier for women to access the care they need, all in one place." — CATHY BERRY, MD, OB/GYN AT CATHY BERRY, MD & ASSOCIATES AND CROUSE HEALTH can refer patients between our offices or ask each other questions." To maximize their wide knowledge base and close proximity to one another, physi- cians at Crouse Health keep an eye out for signs of conditions and issues that women may not know about, such as pelvic health disorders or voiding dysfunction. They educate patients on these issues and can refer them to the appropriate department for follow-up if further action is required. "We're trying to give patients an access point to connect with the appropriate physician or resource, which might be me or someone else," Dr. Narins says. "We want to be integrated and cohesive as a group so that we can offer all aspects of care in an efficient fashion." Providing women with education in an understanding and private manner can help them be upfront about their issues and receive timely care. "We have terrific resources for patients," Dr. Narins says. "A lot of women don't have the knowledge or know how to reach out, so we want to make sure they are sent to the right place." ADVANCED SERVICES FOR WOMEN To b e t t er s er ve C ent r a l Ne w York women, Crouse Hea lth recently brought on Dr. Narins to lead its new female urol- og y and pelvic reconstruction program. " There was a sig nif ica nt need in the community for someone with advanced fel low sh ip t ra i n i n g i n void i n g dy s- f unction a nd pelvic orga n prolapses," Dr. Narins says. "My fellowship training addresses both of these issues w ith a strong emphasis on neuromodulation, which is a n adva nced therapy for over- active bladder that has not responded to more conser vative treatment." Dr. Na rins works a longside a g roup of physicia ns a nd ot her prov iders to treat issues such as feca l a nd urina r y incontinence, pelv ic orga n prolapse, a nd sex ua l dysfunction. ENHANCING CARE FOR POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION Fur ther underscoring its comprehen- sive women's ser vices prof ile, Crouse has recently launched a unique program M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A l N E W Y O R K ■ 2 019 0 7