Women’s healthcare needs change throughout the years. That’s why the dedicated healthcare providers at UHS are committed to women’s unique needs, offering a comprehensive array of services for women from adolescence to menopause and beyond. We provide expert care using advanced technology in locations that are convenient to you, all designed to make you and the women you love feel cared for, healthy and empowered to make the best healthcare decisions.
BECOMING A WOMAN
UHS staff and clinicians throughout the healthcare system help young women set the stage for a lifetime of good health by providing a comfortable, comprehensive first gynecological exam. At UHS Gynecology in Vestal, nurse practitioners (NPs) take their time with young patients who are coming in for their first exam, focusing on their questions and concerns and alleviating their fears. “That first GYN appointment is critical,” says Nancy Shumeyko, MD, board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist at UHS Vestal. “If that first experience is not a good one, patients don’t come back and they neglect their healthcare.”
THE CHILDBEARING YEARS
As women enter their childbearing years, UHS provides comprehensive family planning, STD and sexual health screenings, and obstetrician and birthing services, including care for complex pregnancies or other conditions. Patients with gestational diabetes can get specialized care from UHS diabetes educators, who help navigate the recommended course of care and treatment for this complication of pregnancy.
MOVING TOWARD MENOPAUSE
Gynecologic care is just as important — perhaps even more so — after the childbearing years. Mammograms are a major tool in the battle against breast cancer and should be performed for most women starting at age 40. Beyond breast health, the years leading to menopause can be a time of major change for women. Fluctuating hormones, incontinence due to childbirth, gynecological cancers and osteoporosis are concerns for women in this age group. Dr. Shumeyko takes a personal interest in menopause care at her UHS Vestal practice, staffed by women. “We’re women,” says Dr. Shumeyko. “We understand the complaints and that their issues are real. We know that hot flashes are disturbing and we can help.”
AFTER THE CHANGE
Urinary incontinence is a common complaint among older women, but it is often ignored because women are embarrassed or their care providers are simply not well versed in the latest treatments. Dr. Shumeyko stresses that no woman should have to suffer with incontinence. “It’s common, but it’s not normal,” she says. “It’s important to make the right diagnosis and provide the right treatment, which isn’t always surgery.”
UHS physicians are specialists at minimally invasive surgical options for women’s health conditions. Minimally invasive means smaller incisions, little blood loss, less pain, and a shorter operation and recovery time as compared to more invasive procedures. These procedures now take mere hours and may be done on an outpatient basis, with a recovery time of only one to two weeks. Minimally invasive procedures such as hysterectomy and uterine ablation provide women with high-tech options for common gynecologic problems.
YOUR DAUGHTER’S DOCTOR
UHS has women’s health providers for you and your daughter in your community. See a complete list of our women’s health providers. To make an appointment with Dr. Shumeyko or a gynecology nurse practitioner at UHS Vestal, call 797-4496.
