The Women’s Health Center at Windham Hospital had a banner year of growth in terms of patient visits and staffing to meet the community’s needs.
The Center saw a nearly 18% increase in gynecological patient visits in fiscal year 2022 (which ended Sept. 30), as compared to FY 2021, said Sarah Bouchard, BSN, RNC-OB, regional director of Women’s Health for Backus and Windham Hospitals. And the center had a nearly 17% increase in obstetric patient visits in the same time frame.
Part of the reason for that is the addition of Erin Bane, a certified nurse midwife, to the staff, in addition to Eugene Rozenshteyn, MD, OBGYN. That effectively doubled the center’s ability to see patients, Bouchard said.
The Women’s Health Center provides the full range of gynecological services to patients, and also provides prenatal care for pregnant patients, who then deliver at Backus Hospital. In FY22, 74 patients of the Windham center delivered their babies at Backus. One baby was transferred to Hartford Hospital for a preterm delivery. Currently 51 patients are receiving prenatal care at Windham with plans to give birth at Backus.
Another important staff addition this year is a bilingual social worker, Bouchard said. Mariceli Rojas works with center patients to ensure they receive the care they need and are connected to community resources that will benefit them. Bouchard said Rojas “does a tremendous amount of work in the community” to benefit the patients, ranging from health insurance coverage to infant car seats to domestic violence assistance.
The final component added this year is a Licensed Psychiatric Clinician from Hartford HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Network who collaborates with the center specifically on women’s mental health.
Noting that nearly all the center’s staff is bilingual, Bouchard said the team has spent a lot of time and energy making sure the center is responsive to the patients’ and the community’s needs. The center also partners with the East Region Community Health on its Healthy Beginnings Program for new mothers.
The center offers:
- Reproductive health
- Family planning
- Breast health
- Gynecology