The Circle of Care: In Their Own Words

At Women's Care of Wisconsin, we empower women by involving them in all of their health care decisions. We strive to know our patients well, helping them achieve their personal goals and live their best lives. The doctors and midwives of Women's Care offer a well-rounded approach to OB/GYN care, one that meets both the physical and emotional needs of patients throughout every phase of life.

We call it our Circle of Care. It's not a slogan or catchphrase. For us, it's the foundation of the practice, delivering a premium experience that is completely built around you.

A good way to understand the significance of the Circle of Care and your part in it is to hear from the providers at Women's Care, in their own words.

David Austin Anderson MD, OB/GYN
“The Circle of Care is best represented by the ability to follow your patients through their journey and get to know them and their family. I love being a part of some of the greatest moments in my patients’ lives.”

Gretchen Augustine DO, OB/GYN
“The Circle of Care is our vision to take care of the whole patient on the whole journey, instead of just a piece of it.”

Allison Brubaker MD, OB/GYN
“The Circle of Care means developing a rapport with patients. They keep coming back to you—for their pregnancy, afterwards for postpartum, later on for their GYN care, you see them when they’re going through menopause, and then you start seeing their daughters and their granddaughters.”

Eric Eberts MD, OB/GYN
“I care about how the teamwork happens. We’re all partners here; we support one another. We have strengths, specialties, and the trust in each other to do the best for every patient that walks through our door, no matter the issue. Your patient, my patient. That’s completing the Circle.”

Valary Gass MD, OB/GYN
“I want my patients to feel that they were heard. There’s no one single fit for everyone, so I educate them on treatment options so they can choose what’s going to meet their goals and fit their lifestyles.”

Elise Gessler CNM
“I want to learn more about my patients and spend more time with them, and being a midwife I can really get to know them and care for them through all aspects of their life. To me, that represents what the Circle of Care is all about.”

Amanda Reed MD, OB/GYN
"At Women’s Care of Wisconsin, I have support all around me, and that also supports our patients, who are taken care of every step of the way. We really have it together here, and I hear that from patients all the time."

Adriana Schaufelberger MD, OB/GYN
“I love being there for the patient. I get to see them through their life span, so many important moments. It’s critical to have that connection.”

Marissa Schloesser MD, OB/GYN
"We’re following women through their life, through various journeys, from teenage years to reproductive years through menopause. There’s so much joy in each of those journeys, but the transitions can be difficult or stressful for patients, who look to us to help guide them through these challenging moments. We may not always have the answer for them, but we can always help them through it and help them get to a place that they need to be.”

Effie Siomos MD, OB/GYN
“Something that doesn’t get emphasized enough in health care is teamwork. All of us at Women’s Care understand the importance of each moment in the patient journey and use those as opportunities to elevate the experience.”

Sara Swift MD, OB/GYN
“It’s not just caring for women from their teenage years to their menopausal years, but it’s also caring for a woman as a whole, not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well.”

Maria Vandenberg MD, OB/GYN
“There is no greater privilege than standing next to a woman as she transitions to adulthood, becomes a mom, and lives a healthy life. Building life-long relationships with my patients is an important part of my practice. I strive to help women make health care decisions that are the best options for them."

Kay Weina CNM
“It's your body and it's your baby, and it's your choice. These decisions are up to you and I'm just there to help you figure that out and to answer the questions that you might have.”

Briana Williams DO, OB/GYN
“Developing relationships with patients and seeing them transition through multiple years of their life is the best part of my career.”

Therese Yarroch MD, OB/GYN
“We go through some critical times with our patients, and we are there to make a difference.”

When Should My Daughter Have Her First Gynecologist Visit?

For many young women, the thought of seeing a gynecologist for the first time can feel scary or even embarrassing, but this should be a time when your daughter feels comfortable and is able to ask questions about her developing body. We talked with Dr. Valary Gass of Women’s Care of Wisconsin to provide you with the information you need to help your daughter feel more positive and less stressed out about her first gynecologist visit.

What Age Should I Schedule My Daughter’s First Gynecologist Visit? “The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that girls between the ages of 13-15 visit with a gynecologist,” Dr. Gass explains.
For many parents, a reasonable time to talk with your daughter about scheduling her first appointment is after her first menstrual period. The real purpose of this appointment is to establish a relationship between your daughter and her gynecologist so she can feel comfortable asking questions and learn about what changes she can expect as she develops.

Preparing For Your Daughter’s First Gynecologist Visit
The most important thing you can do to help ease your daughter’s nerves is talk to her. Explain to her why this visit is important and help her understand what she can expect. Having an open dialogue with your daughter will encourage her to ask questions and feel more comfortable about the experience.
It is also a good idea to have your daughter create a list of questions she may have for her gynecologist before the visit. Sometimes being nervous can cause us to be forgetful, so writing these questions down on a piece of paper will help her make sure she doesn’t leave anything out.
Common topics for questions include periods, hormones, birth control, sex, and sexually transmitted infections. These are all normal topics for your daughter to have questions about. Remind her that anything discussed with her gynecologist is protected by privacy laws, so she shouldn’t feel embarrassed about asking these questions.

What Your Daughter Can Expect During Her Visit “Most of the time, a girl’s first gynecologist appointment does not involve a pelvic exam,” Dr. Gass says, “but it should include taking a careful medical history, addressing any concerns like bad periods, and considering things like HPV vaccinations." During your daughter’s first gynecologist visit, she can expect to have a general physical exam where the nurse will record her height, weight, and blood pressure. Her gynecologist may then check for common health problems and talk with her about her medical history. While her gynecologist will probably not conduct a pelvic exam during her first visit, it is likely that your daughter will have an external genital exam. During the external genital exam, your daughter’s gynecologist will exam her vulva and may use a mirror to help her identify parts of her own body that she has yet to discover. The most important thing to keep in mind is that this visit is an opportunity for your daughter to speak openly with her gynecologist and ask questions.

When Is a Pelvic Exam Necessary? “The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggests that most women begin regular Pap smear screening at age 21,” Dr. Gass says. At that point, women should continue regular screening every three years until age 30 when they can switch to having a Pap smear with HPV co-testing every five years. Your daughter most likely will not need a pelvic exam during her first gynecologist visit, unless she has expressed complaints of lumps, bumps, pelvic pain, or abnormal discharge. In these instances, her gynecologist may decide a pelvic exam is necessary.

When Should My Daughter Stop Seeing Her Pediatrician? Once your daughter is seeing a gynecologist regularly, you may wonder if she needs to continue seeing her pediatrician. This is largely up to you and depends on the specific needs your daughter has as well as her gynecologist’s preference for their practice. It is perfectly normal for your daughter to continue seeing her pediatrician well into college and it can be helpful if she has a complicated medical history. Just make sure your daughter continues her annual gynecologist visit as well.

Schedule An Appointment If you would like to schedule an appointment with one of our providers at Women’s Care of Wisconsin, please call or text us at 920.729.7105