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WPMG Newsletter -- Volume 7 Issue 4 -- October 1, 2010
Index
Major Changes at Women Physicians
The Doctors Speak Out
Dr. Janet Huang Pulskamp
Dr. Christine Litwin-Sanguinetti
Dr. Katherine Sutherland
Dr. Rita Leard
Nurse Practitioner Barb Dehn
Questions and Answers
As most of you are now aware, the
physicians at Women Physicians Ob-Gyn have reached a point in their careers in
which continuing business as usual is not an option. As the business of
medicine and insurance reimbursements change, our small group, highly
personalized type of care is in jeopardy of extinction. It is with great
sadness that we have reached the conclusion that Women Physicians Ob-Gyn, after
27 years of doing business in our community, will cease to do business in early
November.
For those of you who have been
happy with your care, this announcement may produce anxiety about what will
happen next. We, at Women Physicians, have always felt patient care was our
number 1 priority, and have planned to make your continuity of care as seamless
a transition as possible. Your medical records will be transferred to Dr.
Sutherland’s new corporation, and she and Dr. Litwin will continue to offer the
same personalized care that has been the hallmark of Women Physicians since its
onset. Drs. Sutherland and Litwin hope to incorporate all the positive features
of Women Physicians Ob-Gyn, and even add some additional features, like
electronic medical records. Please be understanding that this is a time
when the employees and doctors have many extra duties and will appreciate your
patience during this major change.
Picture a flutter of butterflies
emerging from cocoons. Some of the butterflies are the doctors and Barb, all of
whom feel very positive about the new directions they will be taking. And some
of the butterflies are you, our beloved patients, who can reaffirm that
the type of care you have received at Women Physicians contributes in a special
way to your
well-being.
The Doctors Speak Out on Their
Changes
It is with
sadness that I announce my departure from Women Physicians Ob/Gyn Medical Group
on 9/30/10. Even medical practices have been affected by the recession in the
last 2 years and we have found it increasingly difficult to operate a private
practice. I was offered a position with the Kaiser Foundation in Santa Rosa and
will start as a staff physician on 10/28/10. I am excited that I will be able
to concentrate my efforts on providing patient care without having to worry
about the business side of it. I am also excited to work with my brother, who
is a General Surgeon at the Kaiser in Santa Rosa. My husband Flint will
continue with his job at IDC but since he telecommutes, he will be able to join
me in Santa Rosa. We look forward to this new chapter in our lives and are
excited to explore a new part of the state.
To my
patients, I have been honored that you have chosen me to care for you for the
past 18 years and I will miss you all! I will miss your visits and keeping up
with your lives. Thank you for the many wonderful notes you have sent—I have
been touched by them all. Drs. Litwin and Sutherland will remain to provide
your care after my departure—I leave you in excellent hands. My best wishes to
all of you and I hope that our paths cross again in the future.
Janet Huang Pulskamp, MD
I wish
that I had tallied every baby delivered, surgery done and women I’ve helped
through some crisis, but there was never the time. At one point, while we both
had young children of our own, Dr. Sutherland and I delivered up to 50 babies a
month. We were on call every other night and every night if one of us dared
take a vacation! Now, I’ve delivered my last baby, done my last surgery and am
preparing for a new, lower key work experience.
The last
few years have been difficult with the financial pressures of maintaining a
private practice, family illness and my own medical issues with arthritis.
Through it all, though, I’ve realized how much I enjoy taking care of women and
being there for them through the good times and bad. I am grateful, therefore,
that I will be able to continue to provide office gynecologic care and be able
to refer my patients to Dr. Sutherland for surgery when necessary.
Dr. Sutherland and I have made the
decision to continue to see patients as out of network providers in order to
continue to provide women with our unique style of health care. I am very
interested in the transitional years—both menopause and teens/young adults.
Though, preventative health care is of paramount importance throughout life,
these are the times when lapses in good health habits seem to have the most
dramatic consequences. I will continue to see patients for well woman care,
menstrual problems, evaluation and treatment of abnormal paps, and a variety of
gynecologic and general medical problems. I hope to continue my long standing
relationship with as many of my patients as possible, for as long as possible.
Christine Litwin Sanguinetti, MD
 I
am fortunate in that the changes for me and for my patients are the least
dramatic. I will continue to see all of my current patients with no
alteration in your care. My goal is to take the best aspects of Women Physicians Ob-Gyn
Medical Group and to continue those while adding changes that will make Women
Physicians GYN Medical Group (my new name!) even better.
One difference you’ll soon see will be
the use of electronic medical records. This will increase safety and
efficiency, and allow you to have direct access to your records. I hope to have
more frequent and easier communication via email, the newsletter, the blog, and
Facebook. Please be sure we have your email address. Another change is that
from November through March, I will be solely in charge of the care and delivery
of the WPMG pregnant patients. I look forward to this as it allows a more
personal relationship with those of you who are pregnant. Beginning in April, I
will discontinue doing deliveries. This will allow me to concentrate more time
on women’s wellness, gyn problems, and new advances in gyn surgery.
At some point, my practice location may change, but for the time being it
appears I will be able to stay in a portion of the same suite, 221, where
I have been for the past 17 years.
One thing which will not change is my relationship with my
patients which has been very fulfilling throughout my career. Another thing which will not change is my close working
relationship with Dr. Litwin which has been a great resource for me and my
patients for the last 27 years. We will continue to uphold the philosophy of
providing optimal patient care in spite of the changing overall health care
environment. We value your trust and confidence and will strive to meet your
health care needs.
Katherine Sutherland, MD
I know that Women
Physicians is a big part of many people's lives, including mine. I plan to stay
in practice with Dr. Sutherland and Dr. Litwin right here in Mt. View continuing
to see patients at least 1 day a week if not more on occasion. It's been
gratifying to hear from so many women recently about how much they love the care
they've received from 4 of the smartest, most compassionate physicians it's ever
been my pleasure to work with. And, thanks to all of you who wrote or called to
make sure I'd be there for them when needed.
I love working in women's health and plan to continue seeing patients until I'm
using a walker and my glasses are too thick to use the microscope. As many of
you know, I also have a daily blog and publish women's health guides on topics
ranging from Fertility and Pregnancy to Breast feeding and Menopause, which are
available on the blog:
www.NurseBarb.com.
In the last few years, I've been appearing regularly on ABC TV here in San
Francisco as Nurse Barb, dispensing health information. I also lecture at
Stanford and speak on a variety of women's health topics on radio, national TV
and other media outlets. I like to think that all of these other activities are
really just a way to expand what I do one-on-one with my patients and bring it
to a larger audience.
In the next few months, our practice will be sorry to say goodbye to Dr.
Pulskamp and Dr. Leard. They both inspired me, coached me and taught me so much,
I'll miss them as they leave and continue their careers caring for women in
other locales. Rest assured, Dr. Sutherland, Dr. Litwin and I , will be
available to see you for your women's health needs for a long time right here in
Mt. View.
Barb Dehn, NP
Starting in
mid-December, I will begin my tenure as Chief of the OB/GYN Department
(comprised of 10 doctors and 20 nurse midwives) at ABQ Health Partners, a 250
physician multi-specialty group in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I am quite
excited to take on the challenges that will come with this new role. In
addition, I am looking forward to building on my experience with the quality
improvement and patient safety projects I undertook during my nearly eighteen
years at El Camino Hospital. And I’ll have the best of all possible worlds,
because I’ll still be spending the majority of my time caring for patients in
the outpatient and hospital settings.
Leaving Silicon
Valley was a very bittersweet decision, but I'm looking forward to living in the
southwest once again. I find its peaceful, rugged beauty, warm climate and
slower pace of life quite appealing. (It was a two-month med school
rotation spent on the Zuni reservation, in northern New Mexico, that really got
me hooked and then my first practice was in Phoenix.)
In recent years,
I've traveled often to Albuquerque to visit dear friends from med school who
moved there in 2001. During those trips, I have become well acquainted with
the area and have developed a wonderful circle of friends.
Rita Leard, MD
Questions and Answers
· What
will happen to my OB deposit?
All accounts with Women Physicians Ob-Gyn must be
closed before the end of the year. If you have an Ob deposit and have not yet
delivered, Women Physicians will charge you for the care received so far and
refund an overpayment, if necessary. If you are planning to continue your
obstetrical care with Dr. Sutherland, her new business will need a new deposit.
· What
if Women Physicians Ob-Gyn owes me a refund?
Women
Physicians Ob-Gyn has sent out or is sending out all refund checks owing to
patients or other creditors. If you feel you are owed money by Women
Physicians, you must notify us by December with proper documentation.
· What
if I have an outstanding balance at WPMG?
You are
still responsible for any unpaid charges. It would be best to clear them up as
soon as possible. WPMG will still be employing a bookkeeper and collection
specialist beyond November. At the end of December, all outstanding balances
will be turned over to a collection agency.
· Where
will Dr. Sutherland and Litwin have their office?
For the time being,
our lease has been extended in our same office, Suite 221, in Women's Hospital
at 2485 Hospital Dr. This may change in the future, but it will always be
in the Mt. View/Los Altos area.
· What
is the best way for me to get information about the new office location, phone
number, or other particulars?
Dr.
Sutherland and Litwin will notify patients of important changes via email, so be
sure the office has your email on file. There will be announcements in our
newsletter and blog. The website will also be updated frequently. If we are
unable to keep the old phone number, then it will forward to a new number.
· What
if I need to schedule an appointment now for after November 7th?
The
receptionist with Women Physicians Ob-Gyn will be happy to help you schedule an
appointment in the future with Dr. Sutherland, Dr. Litwin, or Barbara Dehn.
· What
about the employees of Women Physicians Ob-Gyn?
Some
employees will continue on with Drs. Sutherland and Litwin, but due to
downsizing, they are unable to keep all employees.
· What
about Barbara Dehn?
Nurse Barb
will continue to see patients on a part-time basis.
· Will
the new group be taking insurances and Medicare?
At the
present time, there are no plans to contract with insurances or Medicare. Drs.
Sutherland and Litwin will be considered out-of-network providers and payment
will be collected at the time of service.
· What
will happen to the Women Physicians web page, newsletters, facebook page, and
blog?
Dr. Sutherland has acquired the domain name and the
right to continue the webpage, newsletter, facebook page, and blog. There may
be some changes to the appearance of these items, but they will continue to
provide you with news and updates in a timely manner.
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