Women's Health

A Partner in Good Health gardening grandma
Obstetrics
Gynecological Services
Nutrition
Breast Health
Osteoporosis
Preventinve Screenings

With state-of-the-art resources that are unmatched in south-central Iowa, Pella Regional Health Center is doing more for women of all ages—from new mothers to great-great-grandmothers. We balance advanced technology with sensitive care from doctors, nurses and other professionals who are committed to providing the beset experience possible for women. We’re here to support you through every phase of your life.

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A Partner in Good Health

The number one most important step to ensuring your continued good health is finding the right doctor for you.  We have a number of primary care doctors that are currently accepting new patients. 
Click here to view our entire medical staff
Click here to request a future appointment with one of our primary care doctors

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Obstetrics

A Great Beginning for Every Family

pregnant woman

 

Our staff of obstetric doctors, visiting specialty doctors and obstetric nurses, along with our dedicated facilities make us a premier provider of maternity services. We also have created Great Beginnings, a maternity program, to help guide expectant moms from pregnancy to parenthood.  Click here to read more about Pella Regional’s Obstetrics Department

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Gynecological Services

Sensitive Care for Women of All Ages

Dr. Dale Lensing, Gynecologist, provides expert and sensitive care to women of all ages. Dr. Lensing has the knowledge to address a full span of health conditions related to the female reproductive system, including:

  • Abdominal Hysterectomy
  • Vaginal Hysterectomy
  • Removal of Ovaries
  • Treatment of Ovarian Cysts
  • Tubal Ligation
  • Urinary Incontinence through GYNECARE TVT
  • Repair of Pelvic Prolapse
  • Endometrial Ablations
  • Treatment of Abnormal Pap Smears & Cervical Dysplasia
  • Excessive Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
  • Infertility Evaluation
  • Routine Annual Exams



    Dr. Lensing sees patients on Monday, Thursday and Friday in the Pella Specialty Clinic.  He recently expanded his services to include routine annual exams (without a primary care referral).  Click here to read more about Dr. Lensing.  Please call his Ottumwa office to make an appointment with him at 641.682.8761.

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    Nutrition

    Nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining, improving or regaining good health. Pella Regional’s Nutrition Services provides one-on-one nutrition counseling on an outpatient basis to patients with a variety of medical conditions. Click here to read more about Nutrition Services

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    A Comprehensive and Compassionate Approach to Breast Health

    Here, we’re doing more to help women fight against breast cancer, with more woman eating yogurtsupport services, more resources and more sensitive care from dedicated professionals.

    At Pella Regional, our team works with you every step on the path.

    Detection: According to the American Cancer Society, mammographic screening and increased early detection of breast cancers too small to be felt has decreased the breast cancer mortality rate since 1990. In September 2006, PRHC started performing all digital mammography exams for female patients. With digital mammography, image quality is improved and radiation exposure is decreased giving patients the best exam possible--meaning the best exam to detect cancer. The American Cancer Society strongly suggests that women over the age of 40 get yearly mammograms in order to detect any abnormalities early.  Click here to read more about PRHC’s digital mammography.

    Treatment: Decisions are made by the patient and her doctor after considering the optimal treatment available for the stage and biological characteristics of the cancer, the patient’s age and preferences, and the risks and benefits associated with each treatment. Most women usually have surgery to treat breast cancer. In the past few years, a new procedure called the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy has been developed and is available at Pella Regional. “Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy is slowly becoming the standard of care for invasive breast cancer,” explains Matt Morgan, DO, Surgeon at PRHC.  The basic concept behind the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy is that the surgeon only has to remove one—or possibly two—lymph nodes to determine if the cancer has spread. The previous technology required 15 to 40 lymph nodes being removed, and had a greater risk of developing swelling in the arm.  “We are very aggressive at treating not only invasive, but also non-invasive breast cancer. The technique of the sentinel lymph node biopsy plays an important role in our treatment options,” states Dr. Morgan.  “In essence, the same treatment given to musician Sheryl Crow in large medical centers in California is being offered to patients right here at Pella Regional Health Center,” adds Morgan.

    PRHC also offers patients chemotherapy treatments under the direction of  Oncologist Dr. Mark Westberg. 

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    Osteoporosis

    Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the quantity and quality of your bones. It is a debilitating condition in which bones become fragile and much easier to break.  Pella Regional offers DEXA Scanning, a bone density screening. Click here to read more about DEXA.

    The Best Defense is Early Detection

     

    Click here to download the CDC Preventive Health Screening Guideline Chart (as shown below)

    Screening Tests Ages 18 - 39 Ages 40 - 49 Ages 50 - 64 Ages 65 and Older
    General Health:
    Full checkup, including weight and height    		 Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
    Thyroid test (TSH)1 Start at age 35, then every 5 years Every 5 years Every 5 years Every 5 years
    Heart Health:
    Blood pressure test2    		 At least every 2 years At least every 2 years At least every 2 years At least every 2 years
    Cholesterol test3 Start at age 20, discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
    Bone Health:
    Bone mineral density test4    		   Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Get a bone mineral density test at least once. Talk to your doctor or nurse about repeat testing.
    Diabetes:
    Blood glucose test5    		 Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Start at age 45, then every 3 years Every 3 years Every 3 years
    Breast Health:
    Mammogram (x-ray of breast)6     		  Every 1-2 years. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Every 1-2 years. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Every 1-2 years. Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
    Reproductive Health:
    Pap test & pelvic exam7    		 Every 1-3 years if you have been sexually active or are older than 21 Every 1-3 years Every 1-3 years Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
    Chlamydia test8 Yearly until age 25 if sexually active. Older than age 25, get this test if you have new or multiple partners. All pregnant women should have this test. Get this test if you have new or multiple partners. All pregnant women should have this test. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
    Sexually transmitted disease (STD) tests8 Both partners should get tested for STDs, including HIV, before initiating sexual intercourse. Both partners should get tested for STDs, including HIV, before initiating sexual intercourse. Both partners should get tested for STDs, including HIV, before initiating sexual intercourse. Both partners should get tested for STDs, including HIV, before initiating sexual intercourse.
    Mental Health Screening9 Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse.
    Colorectal Health:
    Fecal occult blood test10,11    		     Yearly Yearly
    Flexible sigmoidoscopy (with fecal occult blood test is preferred)10,11     Every 5 years (if not having a colonoscopy) Every 5 years (if not having a colonoscopy)
    Double Contrast Barium Enema (DCBE)10,11     Every 5-10 years (if not having a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy) Every 5-10 years (if not having a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy)
    Colonoscopy10,11     Every 10 years Every 10 years
    Rectal exam10,11 Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Every 5-10 years with each screening (sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, or DCBE) Every 5-10 years with each screening (sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, or DCBE)
    Eye and Ear Health:
    Eye exam12    		 If you have any visual problems; or at least one exam from ages 20-29 and at least two exams from ages 30-39. Every 2-4 years Every 2-4 years Every 1-2 years
    Hearing test13 Starting at age 18, then every 10 years Every 10 years Every 3 years Every 3 years
    Skin Health:
    Mole exam14    		 Monthly mole self-exam; by a doctor every 3 years, starting at age 20. Monthly mole self-exam; by a doctor every year. Monthly mole self-exam; by a doctor every year. Monthly mole self-exam; by a doctor every year.
    Oral Health:
    Dental exam15    		 One to two times every year One to two times every year One to two times every year One to two times every year
    Immunizations:
    Influenza vaccine16    		 Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Yearly Yearly
    Pneumococcal vaccine16       One time only
    Tetanus-diphtheria booster vaccine16 Every 10 years Every 10 years Every 10 years Every 10 years
    Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV)17 Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse. Discuss with your doctor or nurse.  
    Meningococcal vaccine18 Discuss with your doctor or nurse if attending college.  

    1 Ladenson PW, Singer PA, Ain KB, Bagchi N, Bigos ST, Levy EG, Smith SA, Daniels GH. American Thyroid Association Guidelines for Detection of Thyroid Dysfunction. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2000;160:1573-1575.

    2 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for High Blood Pressure: Recommendations and Rationale. July 2003. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/highbloodsc/hibloodrr.htm.

    3 Adapted from:
    National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). 2002. NIH Publication No. 02-5215.

    4 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women: Recommendations and Rationale. September 2002. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. www.ahrq.gov/clinic/3rduspstf/osteoporosis/osteorr.htm.

    5 American Diabetes Association. Frequently Asked Questions about Pre-Diabetes. Available at: www.diabetes.org/pre-diabetes/faq.jsp. Accessed October 25, 2006.

    6 National Cancer Institute. Screening Mammograms: Questions and Answers. Available at: www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/screening-mammograms. Accessed October 23, 2006.

    7 National Cancer Institute. The Pap Test: Questions and Answers. Available at: www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/Pap-test. Accessed October 23, 2006.

    8 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment Guidelines, 2006. MMWR. 2006;55(No. RR-11):38.

    9 Adapted from:
    National Institute of Mental Health. Depression: What Every Woman Should Know. Available at: www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depwomenknows.cfm#ptdep8. Accessed October 25, 2006.

    10 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Screening Guidelines (Colorectal Cancer). Available at: www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening/guidelines.htm. Accessed October 24, 2006.

    11 American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Early Detection of Cancer. Available at: www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_2_3X_ACS_Cancer_Detection_Guidelines_36.asp. Accessed October 24, 2006.

    12 The American Academy of Ophthalmology. The American Academy of Ophthalmology Sets its Sight on Healthy Vision Month. Available at: www.aao.org/news/release/20050501a.cfm. Accessed October 25, 2006.

    13 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Hearing Screening. Available at: www.asha.org/public/hearing/testing. Accessed October 24, 2006.

    14 American Cancer Society. Monitor your Skin for Signs of Skin Cancer. Available at: www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Monitor_Your_Skin_for_Signs_of
    _Skin_Cancer.asp    . Accessed October 25, 2006.

    15 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The Pocket Guide to Good Health for Adults. Available at: www.ahrq.gov/ppip/adguide/adguide.pdf.
    Accessed October 24, 2006.

    16 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule— United States, October 2006—September 2007. MMWR 2006;55:Q1-Q4.

    17 Adapted from:
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HPV and HPV Vaccine: Information for Health Care Providers. Available at: www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine-hcp.htm#provhpvrec. Accessed October 25, 2006.

    18 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meningococcal Disease. Available at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm. Accessed August 23, 2006.

     


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