Healthy Living
Gynecology and Fertility P.C. Women Caring for Women By Sarah Brown
Women make up the largest percentage of consumers and decision-makers when it comes to health care. This includes choices like which doctors to see, which medicines to take, and which health regimens to follow—and not just for themselves but for their families, as well. In fact, many women spend so much time looking after the health of other people, they don’t take enough time to look after their own health. As author L.R. Knost has wisely written, “Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean me first, it means me too.” The team at Gynecology and Fertility P.C. understands how difficult it can be to strike this balance. They are Lincoln’s only obstetrics and gynecology practice that is independently owned and managed exclusively by women. With over 40 years of combined experience, the staff at Gynecology and Fertility P.C. have gained a reputation of providing caring and compassionate individualized health care for women, by women. Dr. Sarah Cada, a Lincoln native and Pius High School alumnus, began working at Gynecology and Fertility P.C. in 2004 after moving back to Lincoln as a single mother to raise her children closer to family. Dr. Cada had already been practicing gynecology and obstetrics for several years at a women’s health clinic in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Right away, she noticed a big difference between the two clinical environments and their approach to patient care. “The clinic in Cedar Rapids was very busy,” she recalls. “I’d see 30 patients a day on average; sometimes up to 50, if one of the other doctors was out of the office. It was very time-intensive.” Working in such a high-volume, fast-paced environment was exciting because of the variety of situations she confronted, but she never really got to develop relationships with patients. “Here, we limit the number of patients we see per day, and we limit the number of deliveries we do per month,” explains Dr. Cada. “That way, we can develop fulfilling relationships with people.” When it comes to sensitive medical issues like the menstrual cycle or procedures like pap smears, women tend to prefer female doctors, according to research published by the National Institutes of Health. Developing trusted relationships with their patients is how the staff at Gynecology and Fertility P.C. can address concerns their patients have about
issues that may feel embarrassing Dr. Sarah Cada to bring up at first. “A lot of women seem to be suffering with their periods. They come in and say, ‘I bleed onto my clothes, I bleed onto my sheets, I have to stay up all night the first night or two because it’s so awful,’” Dr. Cada relates. She emphasizes that women don’t have to let that experience guide their lives or consider it to be their “normal” just because it’s been happening for a long time. Gynecology and Fertility P.C. has options that can help improve the situation. Dr. Cada also shares that the importance of bladder health is an issue they want all patients of Gynecology and Fertility P.C. to be more aware of. “Approximately 85 percent of moms have a problem with urinary leakage at some point in their lives,” she states. While there are plenty of products like pads available at the drugstore to catch urinary leakage, Dr. Cada suggests that a better choice is to visit with your gynecologist to find the best option to help you make it stop. “Because we’re all women and we’ve had some similar experiences, we can really understand in a way that someone who hasn’t had those experiences can’t,” she points out. Patients at Gynecology and Fertility P.C. feel that the focus on building trust and relationships with women is what sets the clinic apart from others in Lincoln. “I switched more than halfway through my pregnancy, and I am so glad I did,” shares patient Erin. “From the moment I met my doctor here, I felt heard. They take the time with you to actually prepare you and have not once made me feel inconvenient for asking so many questions. I have high anxiety, and they set up a system to help me at every turn and to ease it as much as possible. Their office also recommended a fantastic therapist who made a tremendous difference.” For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of the providers at Gynecology and Fertility P.C., call 402-483-2886 or visit the clinic website, gfertpc. com. They are offering both telehealth appointments and in-person appointments, which take place at their office inside Suite 508 of the Bryan Health Medical Plaza at 1500 South 48th Street.
“From the moment I met my doctor here, I felt heard...”
26
November 2020
