Mercy Health Promotes Women’s Health this Mother’s Day

Why Two Docs May be Better Than One

This Mother’s Day, Mercy Health – Lorain is asking women to make their health a priority, and that starts with making sure they have the right providers.

“OB-GYNs are often seen as the gatekeeper to women’s health, and they are an important provider for every woman to have, but there are limitations to using a specialist for all your health care needs,” explained Dr. Heidi Lencoski with Mercy Health – Sheffield Village Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Health care leaders have noticed a trend – numerous patients are showing up for their annual gynecology visit only to need a referral for health needs outside of their physician’s scope of expertise. Gynecologists typically focus more on women’s reproductive health, pregnancy care, breast health, and other issues ranging from infertility to menopause. To ensure female patients get the appropriate care they need for their other health care needs, they will also want a primary care provider who can work in collaboration with their already established OB-GYN.

“Some gynecologic problems are manifestations of other medical conditions. You might get treatment from an OB where a primary care provider may be better at recognizing and helping to address the underlying problem. We just want to open that line of communication and combine the expertise of both fields to provide our female patients with the best care possible,” said Dr. Lencoski.

If you have an established OB-GYN, but not a primary care provider, you can ask your doctor for a referral. Often, establishing care with two providers within the same health system can have benefits such as making the sharing of medical records quick and seamless.

Whatever type of doctor you’re hoping to find, Mercy Health makes it easy for you with our “Find a Physician” tool. To try it out or find more information about the women’s health services available at Mercy Health, go to mercy.com.