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brea st ca re tea m one of t he best i n the nation." While COVID-19 impacted many health- care services, Dr. Kort says appointments for screenings did not significantly drop. "When it comes to breast cancer, there really hasn't been that big of a difference in patient volume," Dr. Kort says. "The fear of cancer makes people anxious and upset more than the virus." Dr. Kort was glad to see patients keep- ing appointments, but emphasized that screenings and mammograms should always be top of mind for all women. "One in eight women will get breast cancer. That's a very high and upsetting number," Dr. Kort says. "We've treated many patients with breast cancer or other related issues, and we've seen amazing outcomes. We understand the physical and emotional aspects, and we're here to help people take charge of their health and navigate this disease." Beata Belfield, MD, is trained in mini- mally invasive surgeries and advocates t he ma ny benef its of t hese t y pes of procedures. Minimally invasive means smaller incisions, faster recovery and quicker back-to-work time. She is also the only local surgeon with the most up-to-date training in the latest complex abdominal wall repair training. She was called into the operating room one weekend night to treat a patient who was suffering from a hernia and needed emergency surgery. With the help of her colleagues, Dr. Belfield was able to jump in and perform minimally invasive surgery that same night and the patient was able to go home the next day. Dr. Belfield believes this procedure will become much more common in the near future. Nelly Kazzaz, MD, a cardiologist with more than 15 years of experience, consid- ers it an honor and privilege to serve her community. As a board member of the American Heart Association's Central New York chapter, Dr. Kazzaz speaks regu- larly at St. Joseph's Health Community Outreach programs. "Seeing a cardiologist can be a very stressful event," Dr. Kazzaz says. "When they approach us as a person — a nonmedi- cal professional — during an event, they are much more comfortable and willing to share and ask questions." This kind of community outreach has helped to prevent heart attacks, strokes and other heart-related diseases. During the height of the pandemic, Dr. Kazzaz turned to telemedicine to see some patients, but virtual visits were still difficult for the high-risk population. "It 's difficult to not be able to see a swollen leg or not use electrons when a patient complains about having chest pains," she says. With more people being vaccinated daily, Dr. Kazzaz stresses the importance of routine doctor's visits and paying atten- tion to your heart. She also urges women to pay extra close attention to their hearts because of the additional stress caused by the pandemic. "Women are affected the most by the pandemic," Dr. Kazzaz says. "If you're working from home, you may a lso be a mother, a cook, a teacher, etc. We do ever y thing for other people a nd for- get ourselves." These extraordinary physicians and surgeons are part of a much larger team at St. Joseph's Health, where women's health care is female by design. They under- stand the unique needs and challenges for women, offer the latest innovative programs and procedures, and are on the forefront of new developments in women's health care. n Beata Belfield, MD Kara Kort, MD Nelly Kazzaz, MD 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 0 21 1 1