Think You Don't Have Time for a Doctor's Visit?

In most households, women are the primary care givers. You take your children to the doctor, encourage your spouse to get yearly check-ups, and coordinate care for aging parents.

But while you’re busy taking care of everyone else, you struggle to maintain your own health.

To care for women in a way that is convenient for you, without sacrificing quality, Catholic Health has developed a Women’s Services line, led by Aimee Gomlak, Vice President of Women’s Services.

“Women have a special place for us at Catholic Health because when they get on their feet quicker and they can care for themselves, they can care for the others in their lives,” says Aimee.

Our Women’s Services line can give you the care you need faster, from doctors who know that healthcare isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Easy Access to Specialized Care

At Catholic Health, gynecologists and obstetricians work under the same roof as other specialists, making the care you need readily available.

If a patient is pregnant but is also diagnosed with cancer, her physician can call on a cancer specialist in the same building. This shared medical space results in better quality of care, as the physicians coordinate care plans, and the patient is spared from having to travel from place to place for doctor visits.

Primary Care

At the M. Steven Piver, M.D. Center for Women’s Health & Wellness in Buffalo, a team of women’s specialists work together to cover bladder problems, diabetes, hypertension, cancer and more. "Between the seven or eight physicians that work there, we pretty much cover everything," says Dr. Piver.

Primary care centers Ken-Ton Family Care Center, Sisters OB/GYN Center, Lovejoy - St. Vincent Health Center, and Mercy Comprehensive Care Center also house physicians who have different areas of expertise.

Aimee says, “When you have that combined service and the commitment of specialists, I ask myself, ‘Why would anyone go anywhere else?’”

Maternity

Both Sisters Hospital and Mercy Hospital have intensive care units for mom and newborns, which enables them to care for mom and baby in one place, even in the most serious cases.

“We had a young lady who delivered a baby, and during the initial exam, we found a breast lump,” says Dr. Nicholas Cromwell, a Mercy Hospital OB/GYN physician who is also on staff at the Mercy Comprehensive Care Center.

“The baby was born healthy, and the mother was able to have her breast surgery the day after having her baby,” Dr. Cromwell says.

This ability to care for both mom and baby is what sets our hospitals apart.

Aimee says, “Other hospitals may not have intensive care units for mom and babies or specialists for adult women care. So when mom needs intensive care, they send her elsewhere. We’re able to keep mom and baby together and take care of them closer to home.”

---

Spotlight on Health

Women's Health Services – 96.1 JOY-FM, January 22, 2012
Download this thirty-minute radio program to hear from featured guests Nicholas Cromwell, MD and Aimee Gomlak.

---

Fluency in Other Languages

Many of Catholic Health’s gynecologists and nurse practitioners are fluent in a non-English language, helping patients to feel at ease and reducing language barriers.

Languages spoken include Spanish, Arabic, French, Italian, Farsi, Punjabi, and Tamil.

Not only are staff physicians fluent in other languages, but colleagues who have privileges at our hospitals speak other languages as well.

“We know that it’s hard for some people to feel comfortable talking to their obstetrician. When we have people in the office who can speak their language, we’re really excited to be able to offer that,” says Aimee.

An Understanding of Women’s Unique Healthcare Concerns

Men and women aren’t created equal, at least not where healthcare is concerned. Take heart care, for instance.

When men experience a heart attack, they feel a crushing sensation in their chest. Women’s symptoms are more subtle and easily overlooked.

“Women present with issues that look almost like anxiety, many times having jaw pain or indigestion, so they sometimes put them off, thinking that they’re not a big deal, only to find out later that they are having a cardiac event. And that happens at all ages,” says Aimee. (Click here to learn about heart health for women.)

Because our physicians work together, they’re able to share their knowledge of women’s health and steer their colleagues toward treatment plans that are designed with women’s bodies in mind.

Convenient Locations

Our women’s services are available throughout the Buffalo area, so there’s a doctor close to where you work or live.

If you have women’s health needs, you can visit a Catholic Health clinic staffed by our physicians or see a private physician who is affiliated with our hospitals.

Catholic Health Clinics

In North Buffalo, gynecological care is provided at Sisters OB/GYN Center and the M. Steven Piver, M.D. Center for Women’s Health & Wellness. The Piver Center offers a spa-like setting, where you can schedule a massage to help you unwind.

Women’s services are also concentrated in South Buffalo, closer to the Southtowns.

Here, gynecological patients are seen at the Mercy OB/GYN Center and Mercy Comprehensive Care Center. Opened in April 2011, the Mercy Comprehensive Care Center is a state-of-the-art facility with separate waiting and treatment areas for gynecological patients.

The Ken-Ton Family Care Center in Tonawanda and the Lovejoy - St. Vincent Health Center in Buffalo have gynecologists on staff as well.

When asked how women respond to the new service line, Aimee says, “We’re hearing that women are grateful that we’ve brought services closer to where they live. Women are taking care of their children at home. They’re sometimes taking care of aging parents, so for anyone to have to go into the city for services, it’s an inconvenience. We hear a sense of relief, a sense that women feel that we’re respecting their time.”

Catholic Health Hospitals

For women who are expecting, maternity services are offered at Sisters of Charity Hospital and Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, both of which have private patient rooms.

Mercy Hospital was recently recognized with a HealthGrades Five-Star rating in both Maternity and Gynecological surgery. It was the only hospital in Western New York and one of 30 nationwide with dual five-star designations.

Private Physicians

In addition to our staff physicians, gynecological care is provided by private physician offices that are affiliated with our hospitals. Many offices are connected to mammography sites, laboratory (blood draw) stations and other women’s care specialists for your convenience.

Click here to find a gynecologist affiliated with Catholic Health.

“All of the physicians who work at our hospitals are of the highest caliber and focus on the needs of women at all ages,” says Aimee.

Insurance and Financial Assistance

If cost is a concern, we can assist you in obtaining low-cost health insurance. You may also quality for our Healthcare Assistance Program to receive services at a reduced cost or at no cost.

Our Doctors

Click on a physician’s name for contact information.

Please note that this list is current at the time of publication. For the most up-to-date information, visit our physician directory.

Doctors	Office Location
Emily F. Williams, MD	Amherst
Emmekunla Nylander, MD	Amherst
Lisa Gelman-Koessler, MD	Amherst
Rosann Lana, MD	Amherst
Jeffrey Constantine, MD	Blasdell
Lawrence Gugino, MD	Blasdell
Philip Lauria, MD	Blasdell
Sara Koritz, MD	Blasdell
Scott Zuccala, DO	Blasdell
Ali Ghomi, MD	Buffalo
Anthony Pivarunas, MD	Buffalo
August Bruno, Jr., MD	Buffalo
Chad Strittmatter, MD	Buffalo
Donald Schmidt, MD	Buffalo
George Albert, MD (Neonatologist)	Buffalo
John Hellriegel, MD	Buffalo
Judine Davis, MD	Buffalo
Kamal Singhal, MD (Neonatologist)	Buffalo
Lynne Aronica, MD	Buffalo
M. Steven Piver, MD	Buffalo
Mrinalini Meesala, MD (Cardiologist)	Buffalo
Nick Cromwell, MD	Buffalo
Robert Dukarm, MD (Neonatologist)	Buffalo
Thomas Riley, MD (Neonatologist)	Buffalo
Emerson Reid, MD	Buffalo
Ji Young Lee, MD	Buffalo
Ralph Sperrazza, MD	Buffalo
Richard Lee, MD	Buffalo
Taechin Yu, MD	Buffalo
Ashwina Sheth, MD	Cheektowaga
Noor Shah, MD	Cheektowaga
Sixto Maceda III, MD	Cheektowaga
Carmen Todoro, MD	Depew
Tiffany B Genewick, MD	Depew
Douglas Hage, MD	Derby
George Danakas, MD	East Aurora
Michele Frech, MD	Hamburg
Diane J Sutter, MD	Kenmore
Edward K. Bartels, MD	Kenmore
Julie Gavin, MD	Kenmore
Kristen Smyers, MD	Kenmore
Mark Weissman, MD	Kenmore
Marsilia Seiwell Cloud, MD	Kenmore
Robert Powalski, Jr., MD	Kenmore
Dalip Khurana, MD	Springville
Jane Kraft, MD	Springville
Liveleen M Gill, MD (Cancer Specialist)	West Seneca
Afshan Samad, MD	West Seneca
Brian Smith, MD	West Seneca
Carlos Santos, MD	West Seneca
Diane Sanfilippo, MD	West Seneca
Eddie Mas, MD	West Seneca
Jennifer Rojek, MD	West Seneca
Kate Falkner, MD	West Seneca
Sheila Pieczonka, DO	West Seneca
Adel Chouchani, MD	Williamsville
Carola Bagnarello, MD	Williamsville
David L Marchetti, MD (Cancer Specialist)	Williamsville
Dilara Samadi, MD	Williamsville
Gabriel Chouchani, MD	Williamsville
John Hall, MD (Internal Medicine)	Williamsville
Magda Osman, MD	Williamsville
Magdi Sayegh, MD	Williamsville
Pankaj Singhal, MD (Cancer Specialist)	Williamsville
Paul Wopperer, MD	Williamsville
Ronald Bauer, MD (Cancer Specialist)	Williamsville
Trudy Baker, MD	Williamsville

For more information about women’s services at Catholic Health, visit the Catholic Health website.