“Women’s healthcare at UW Medicine is one of the best-kept secrets in the Seattle area,” says Dr. Barbara Goff, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
This might come as a surprise, especially considering UW Medicine has some of the highest success rates in the region for the care of gynecologic cancer, high-risk obstetrics, infertility, family planning and pelvic health issues.
“At UW Medicine, we’re known nationally for our innovative research, excellence in education and complex clinical care,” Goff explains. “But I don’t think a lot of people — including UW employees — know that we do general OB/GYN, and we do it in the same very thoughtful and meticulous way that we care for people who have high-risk medical problems.”
That’s why Goff has made it her mission to promote the breadth and depth that her department and the Center for Women & Children have to offer to the community.
Complete care for women’s health today
The Center for Women & Children provides care in gynecology, maternity, fertility, breast, pelvic and children’s health at 35 locations across the Puget Sound area. This includes UW Medical Center, Northwest Hospital, Harborview and the UW Neighborhood Clinics.
Some of the common services include routine gynecology and breast screenings, care for low- and high-risk pregnancies, fertility testing and treatments, family planning, cancer care, minimally invasive surgery and therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction.
The Center for Women & Children also provides a wealth of specialty services and access to maternal fetal medicine specialists to help with everything from endometriosis and fibroids to genetic counseling and high-level prenatal care.
Put more simply, UW Medicine offers the whole package when it comes to women’s health across the life span.
“We have fantastic primary care and general OB/GYN services,” Goff says. “And backing up all of those people is just an incredible wealth of specialists and researchers who are developing the newest treatments for patients. We work as a team to bring the best possible care to women.”
Research for women’s health tomorrow
As part of that team approach, UW Medicine researchers are studying a range of women’s health concerns in hopes of developing advanced treatments and better standards of care for patients.
Notable research includes everything from prenatal infections and prevention of pre-term labor to cancer treatments, immunotherapy, minimally invasive surgical approaches, treatment of incontinence and safe, reversible contraception for women.
UW Medicine also continues to make investments to ensure patients have access to the highest quality services and facilities. This includes the full-scale, $25 million renovation of the childbirth center at Northwest Hospital, with the anticipated opening of the upgraded, state-of-the-art center in 2020.
“Through our highly skilled clinicians and patient-centered care, we are improving outcomes in pregnancy, treatment of gynecologic malignancies, infertility, adolescent gynecology, urogynecology and gynecologic surgery,” Goff says.
With leading experts providing care for all stages of life, UW Medicine’s Center for Women & Children should not be a secret much longer.
Watch UW Medicine's most recent ad for the Center for Women & Children.