Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1263581
AUBURN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL'S New Home for Women's Health BY THOMAS CROCKER ANCHORED BY OB/GYN SERVICES WITH A REPUTATION FOR E XCEllENCE, THE WOMEN'S HE AlTH CENTER AT AUBURN COMMUNIT Y HOSPITAl IS FA ST BECOMING A COMPREHENSIVE DESTINATION FOR WOMEN'S HE AlTH THAT ENCOMPA SSES MORE THAN MATERNIT Y SERVICES AND GYNECOlOGIC SURGERY. ESTABLISHED E ARLIER THIS year, the Women's Health Center reflects a funda- mental fact of women's lives: their health and wellness needs change dramatically throughout life, from family planning and prenatal care to menopause and beyond. Caring for women across their lifespan requires diverse services, and that is what the Women's Health Center offers. "The Women's Health Center reflects the evolution of Auburn Community Hospit a l's com m itment to women's hea lt h," says Loren Va n R iper, M D, FACOG, Chief of OB/GYN Services at Auburn Community Hospital. "Initially, that revolved a round obstetrics a nd g ynecologic surgery, but we've pushed forward to include breast care and other services as part of the Women's Health Center. This center was a long-term goal for the hospital because there was a need for it in our community. Women shouldn't have to drive 45 minutes to Syracuse for the everyday health services they need." True to its roots, the Women's Health Center offers full-spectrum maternity services, including prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. In addition to providing obstetric ca re, Dr. Van Riper and his colleagues a lso perform the gamut of gynecologic sur- gery, including minimally invasive and vaginal procedures. "We treat patients for endometriosis, pelv ic pa in, stress ur ina r y inconti- nence, abnormal uterine bleeding and pelvic relaxation, among other problems," Dr. Van Riper says. "I specialize in vaginal surgery. On the minimally invasive side, we frequently per form lapa roscopic pelvic surgery, including hysterectomy, oophorectomy and tubal ligation." The Women's Health Center also offers services that make it a destination for all women, not just new or expectant mothers. These services include breast care and imaging, with more planned for the future. " Women tend to put others f irst — resulting in their own self-care being s e c ond a r y," s ay s Ta ny a Pa u l , M D, FACOG, OB/GYN at Auburn Community Hospital. "It's gratifying to be part of a center where women can receive all the care they need, including ultrasounds, screening mammograms, bone density screenings, referrals for colonoscopies and other preventive health services, and breast care from a SUNY Upstate Medical University specialist, in addition to OB/ GYN services." AN OB/GYN TEAM WITH DEEP COMMUNITY TIES Auburn Community Hospital's four board- certified OB/GYNs and three midwives recently moved their office to the hospital, where an attached, one-level building serves as the home of the Women's Health Center. Over time, the hospital plans to migrate a ll women's hea lth providers and services to this building to bring everything under one roof. The OB/GY N tea m features clini- cians with decades of experience who share a passion for caring for women of all ages and improving women's health in Central New York, where their roots run deep. Dr. Van Riper has lived in the Auburn area for years and practiced at Auburn Community Hospital for more than a decade, most of that time while serving as Chief of OB/GYN Services. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Dr. Paul performed her internship and residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse and practiced OB/GYN in Central New York for 13 years before joining Auburn Community Hospital in 2013. OB/GY N D on a ld Ca l z ol a io, M D, FACOG, graduated from SUNY Upstate 1 2