Rafael Marquez, MD, a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon with OSF HealthCare and assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria (UICOMP), performs a range of procedures designed to help women heal faster and return to their normal routines.

“Some of the procedures I perform at OSF include minimally invasive hysterectomies, excision of endometriosis, ovarian cystectomies, operative hysteroscopy as well as repair of pelvic organ prolapse,” Dr. Marquez says.

What “minimally invasive” means

Minimally invasive surgery is the ability to perform operative procedures using small incisions, Dr. Marquez says.

 “What that means for patients, is they can expect to go home on the same day as their surgery. Benefits of minimally invasive surgery include improved post-operative pain, faster return to normal activities and normal recovery times,” he adds.

Common conditions Dr. Marquez treats

The most common conditions Dr. Marquez treats include endometriosis, uterine fibroids and pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

“Endometriosis affects about 10% of reproductive-aged women. Uterine fibroids are very common. By menopause, you can expect about 70-80% of women will have been diagnosed with a uterine fibroid,” Dr. Marquez says. “Although only 30-50% of those patients have symptoms due to fibroids.”

Systematic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) occurs in roughly 3-6% of women, though examinations show up to 50% may have some degree of prolapse, even without symptoms.

While these conditions are not life-threatening, Dr. Marquez says they can significantly affect quality of life. “Providing these minimally invasive procedures can help change lives for the better,” he says.

When to talk to your OB/GYN

Unending pain and heavy bleeding are two symptoms that deserve attention. Dr. Marquez stresses the importance of open communication between patients and their OB/GYN.

“These are things your OB/GYN should be in constant communication and evaluation on to discuss if something like endometriosis or uterine fibroids are going on,” he adds.

Endometriosis and uterine fibroids mainly affect women of reproductive age (ages 15-49), while pelvic organ prolapse becomes more common with age, though it can still affect younger women.

Prevention and treatment

Maintaining a healthy weight, prioritizing regular exercise, avoiding chronic constipation and straining and not drinking alcohol or smoking can help lower the risk of pelvic organ prolapse.

As part of a patient’s continuum of care at OSF HealthCare, some of the conditions Dr. Marquez treats could also be treated using pelvic floor therapy, a therapy that focuses on the three layers of muscle supporting the pelvic organs against gravity. OSF has specially trained pelvic rehabilitation specialists who can help patients through this process.

OSF HealthCare offers comprehensive treatment options for a wide range of gynecologic conditions, including:

• Endometriosis refractory to medical therapy (Stage I-IV)
• Interstitial cystitis / painful bladder syndrome
• Chronic pelvic pain
• Uterine fibroids
• Intra-uterine abnormalities
• Abnormal uterine bleeding
• Ovarian and fallopian tube surgery
• Pelvic organ prolapse (POP)
• Urinary incontinence

Learn more or schedule a consultation

Patients interested in learning more or seeking a surgical consultation with Dr. Marquez can call 309-308-3300.

Video Interview Clips

As women age, new adventures come. Some, like travel and new hobbies, can bring joy. Others can bring stress.

One of those stressors is perimenopause, the time you’re transitioning to menopause, when you permanently stop having menstrual periods and can no longer get pregnant.

“There’s a stigma around this time of life,” says Lindsay Orr, an advanced practice nurse at OSF HealthCare. “It’s not an illness. It’s just a natural part of aging.”

Perimenopause basics

Orr says during perimenopause, the ovaries stop producing testosterone, estrogen and progesterone regularly.

“Think of it as a short fuse or a fuse that’s not quite connected,” Orr describes. “Every month, the hormones secrete. But ovaries have a shelf life. So some months they work, and some months they don’t. It ebbs and flows during the perimenopause transition period before they go into menopause.” 

Orr says women typically notice changes that signal perimenopause at around age 40. The perimenopause period can be over quickly, especially if you have surgery that impacts your ovaries. On the other hand, Orr has seen some women be in perimenopause for 10 years. Regardless, health professionals define the perimenopause to menopause transition as over when you have not had a period for one year.

Orr says some women can have little to no perimenopause symptoms. For others, the time can bring disruptions to many parts of your life – work, sleep, relationships and more. Sudden hot flashes, mood changes, joint aches, brain fog, trouble with urination, anxiety, disrupted sleep and fatigue are all possible.

“A lack of estrogen can affect bone density,” Orr adds. “So women with smaller frames are more predisposed to bone issues if they fall. Or, a decline in estrogen can have cardio-protective effects. It can increase your risk for cardiovascular issues like heart disease.”

Anorexia, bulimia, high stress, smoking, drinking alcohol and being a high intensity athlete can also make perimenopause come sooner and be more intense, Orr says.

Treatment – proactive and reactive

Orr says if perimenopause symptoms are impacting your quality of life, it’s time to see a provider. Providers can’t make perimenopause go away, but they can help with symptoms. First, Orr asks if her patients are prioritizing what she calls the “four pillars of health”: exercise with resistance training, hydration, a healthy diet with plenty of protein and healthy sleep.

A provider might also recommend a supplement, such as diindolylmethane (or DIM, for short). Orr calls DIM broccoli in a pill. It helps keep hormones at a healthy level. Other supplements that could help include calcium D-glucarate, evening primrose oil, black cohosh and ashwagandha.

Orr also urges women to start the conversation with their primary care provider or OB/GYN before perimenopause hits. Ask what you can do now to lessen symptoms or duration. Be honest about how your body is feeling and what medications you’re on, as new medications could negatively interact with current ones. Orr also recommends women use a smartphone app to track their periods.

“The apps help you be in tune with your body. You go through your day-to-day life and kind of recognize things, but you don’t really put it all together. Then when you put the information in the app, you might say ‘Oh yeah, I am symptomatic. This is happening.’” Orr says. “You can track temperature changes, bleeding issues, hormone fluctuations and sleep. It all plays a role.”

What about pregnancy?

Yes, women can still get pregnant during perimenopause, though it’s not as common as pregnancies in your 30s and younger, Orr says. However, in general, Orr says the higher in age, the higher risk for pregnancy complications.

“Balanced hormones help maintain a good uterine lining for housing a fetus,” Orr explains, noting perimenopause disrupts that hormone balance. “So, a later-life pregnancy would require closer monitoring.” In other words, you’d likely have more trips to the doctor to make sure your pregnancy is healthy.

The bottom line

Orr reiterates: perimenopause is a part of life. Give yourself grace, take advantage of the help that providers can give and recognize that it’s about progress, not perfection.

“Some of the women I see are frazzled, disheveled and anxious. Sometimes they’re upset during the visit. It’s sad to see,” Orr recounts. “Then we start treatment, and I see them three months later. They look like a different person. They’re glowing. They have a zest for life again. It’s rewarding to see.”

Learn more

Read more about perimenopause and menopause and women’s health overall on the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview clips

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The heavy lift: Women and exercise

It’s no great surprise to read that men and women both benefit from working out.

But women may receive greater benefits from regular exercise than men, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The study centered on the importance of exercise as a way to avoid dying prematurely. The researchers studied data from 400,000 people and found that women who exercised were 24% less likely to die early from any cause. Men who exercised, however, were 15% less likely to die early.

The study also revealed that the women who exercise had a 36% lower risk of dying from a cardiovascular event, compared to men at 14%. That’s important because women have twice the risk of dying from a heart attack than a man.

Mary O’Meara is a nurse practitioner with OSF HealthCare. She says society still views heart attacks more as a man’s disease. That’s simply not true.

“Usually, a male is feeling this really bad chest pressure, chest pain going in the left arm into the jaw, very pale. Women, very often, will just complain of fatigue, nausea or heartburn. ‘I feel wiped out. I just can't walk across the room. I need to sit down,’” explains O’Meara. “Unfortunately, that can be a sign of a heart attack in a female, and it gets missed quite often.”

While any movement is good, O’Meara stresses the importance of women incorporating strength and/or resistance training, such as lifting weights. Frequency and the amount of weight depend on the person and their situation.

“For a long time, women were encouraged to do more aerobics-calisthenics. We were always thought of as the weaker sex, I guess you can say, and we weren't really encouraged to do any weight bearing exercise,” says O’Meara. “A lot of research has come back that states that women should be focusing on weight bearing exercises for several different reasons.”

Strength training can also help women as menopause becomes an issue. According to O’Meara, hormones start changing between the ages of 40 and 50 – a time when women start losing muscle and see an increase in body fat. Strength training can help with that change, along with other health issues.

“We found that weight bearing exercise can reduce our risk of dementia and Alzheimer's, and also reduce our risk of osteoporosis, which is a big one,” says O’Meara.

O’Meara also has a nutrition tip for her patients. Protein, she says, is important for women to prevent muscle loss, especially during menopause. O’Meara recommends 30 grams of protein before and 15 grams after a workout, to help rebuild muscle that has been naturally broken-down during exercise.

Additionally, O'Meara is a proponent of healthy fats. She encourages patients to incorporate grape seed oils, olive oils, fish oils, flax seed oils, nuts and avocados into their diets.  Her philosophy is that good fats battle bad fats, and good fats protect our heart.

O’Meara stresses that it's never too late for women to start exercising. Even a short walk or work around the home, for instance, can go a long way to a healthier future.

“You read many testimonials from people who were couch potatoes and never exercised,” she says. “And then, they go into these exercises and do wonderful things that have really made a difference.”

For more information on women’s health, visit the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview Clips 

Over the next three years, OSF HealthCare will update 139 ultrasound units, creating a more consistent, efficient and scalable system of imaging technology across the Ministry’s hospitals and clinics. The phased deployment is designed to minimize disruption to patient care while ensuring facilities have access to reliable, advanced equipment.

Uniform configurations for probes, software and accessories will also help streamline workflows and ensure consistent imaging quality across sites.

OSF Mission Partners (employees) will receive initial training that combines classroom instruction with hands-on learning. Advanced onsite education will continue yearly to ensure clinicians can fully leverage evolving ultrasound technology.

This initiative reflects a broader commitment to investing in technology that improves access to care, supports clinicians and strengthens patient outcomes across the communities OSF serves.

Every year, about 350,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) outside of a hospital setting with almost 90% of all cases being fatal. 

While there is an underlying belief that heart problems such as SCA tend to be more of a concern for men, that’s not the case. In fact, women make up almost 40% of SCA episodes. Just as women may experience different symptoms of heart disease than men, their risk of SCA is somewhat different too.  

According to Nancy Dagefoerde, an advanced practice registered nurse with OSF Cardiovascular Institute, SCA can happen to any adult 30 and older, depending on risk factors, family history and other issues such as a heart birth defect.  

Dagefoerde says SCA is different than a heart attack, which occurs when there is a blockage in a coronary artery on the outside of the heart. Many times, a heart attack is the cause for the sudden cardiac arrest.  

 “Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when there's an irregular heartbeat," she says. "We call it an arrhythmia that causes the heart not to beat or have electrical activity anymore. So in general, there'll be no breathing and no pulse when you come upon a person that's having a sudden cardiac arrest.”  

“The thing that may be different with women is oftentimes their symptoms are portrayed differently and they often can get missed," says Dagefoerde. "A woman may come to an emergency room or a health care provider and say ‘I'm more tired’ or ‘I'm more short of breath.’ It's not the typical elephant on my chest type of chest pain that a man may have. And so working them up for their symptoms, although they're more vague, is important to be preventive to catch these things early before there's damage.” 

Another reason why women are at a higher risk for SCA is because they are more likely to delay seeking care for their symptoms since women tend to prioritize the health of other family members first.   

“As all of us get older, the risk is higher for any of these conditions as far as heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, so we need to be aware that maybe our numbers were okay, or we were doing pretty good when we were in our 20s and 30s," says Dagefoerde. "But as we age, we need those regular checkups and do that good preventive care, because things do change. And women are caring for husbands and parents, even children and grandchildren and they don't often take the time to care for themselves.” 

Symptoms of SCA include:  

·         Fainting  

·         Dizziness  

·         Racing or irregular heartbeat  

·         Chest pain  

·         Shortness of breath  

·         Nausea  

Risk factors for SCA include a previous heart attack, coronary artery disease, a prior episode of SCA, family history and personal or family history of abnormal heart rhythms, among others.  

Dagefoerde has a simple message for any patient who is experiencing any potential cardiac symptom.  

“This is another area that your health prevention will benefit you. So seeing your physician on a regular basis, having regular checkups, checking your labs, knowing your family history, knowing your own history, and doing all those things on a regular basis and don't ignore any symptoms that you may be having.”  

If you see someone drop to the ground and think it could be SCA, call 911 immediately. The faster CPR is started and defibrillation is administered, the better the chances of survival. 

For more information on cardiovascular health, visit OSF HealthCare.  

Interview Clips 

Almost 90 percent of all cases are deadly. 

40 percent of these episodes are made up by women. While men and women experience different symptoms of heart disease, the risks of sudden cardiac arrest are different, too.

Nancy Dagefoerde, an advanced practice nurse with the OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute, says sudden cardiac arrest can happen to any adult, mostly those 30 and older. 

It depends on risk factors, family history and other issues such as a heart birth defect.

“Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when there's an irregular heartbeat. We call it an arrhythmia that causes the heart not to beat or have electrical activity anymore," Dagefoerde says. "So, in general, there'll be no breathing and no pulse when you come upon a person that's having a sudden cardiac arrest."

Dagefoerde says sudden cardiac arrest is different than a heart attack, which happens when there is a blockage in the coronary artery on the outside of the heart. 

While the stigma around mental health is still present, people are more likely to seek treatment.

A woman who has just become pregnant may wonder, ‘Should I stop taking medicines like Zoloft or Prozac? Will they hurt my baby?’ 

Sarah Shoemaker, a certified nurse midwife at OSF HealthCare, says you should talk to your provider about this early. Ideally, before you get pregnant.

“There are some women who take years to find the perfect combination of medications that keep them stable and healthy. We don’t want to mess with that. Very rarely do we have to completely disrupt somebody’s medication regimen. Nothing in our field is black and white. There’s no such thing as bad medication or strictly dangerous medication. We weigh the pros and cons and decide what’s best for each patient," Shoemaker says.

In the rare case you need to make a change, a provider may put you on a supplement.

Health Highlights Video Version with Chyrons

Health Highlights Video Version without Chyrons

This commitment will ensure many community members and OSF Mission Partners alike have access to high-quality, affordable care. The OSF Medical Group OGBYN office, located at 9128 N. Lindbergh in Peoria, opens March 11^th, and will be staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM through 4:30 PM.

There will be at least one physician on-site four days per week, and at least one midwife on-site all five days per week. The clinic will offer on-site ultrasound and non-stress test services.

The many patients currently receiving care through Teverbaugh, Croland and Mueller practice will be able to make appointments to the OSF Medical Group clinic by calling the clinic’s main phone number, starting March 4^th, 309.692.2025.

OSF HealthCare pastoral staff blessed the clinic on Friday, February 23^rd.

At OSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana, a team of OB/GYNs and certified nurse midwives from Advanced Women’s Healthcare will see patients for well-woman, prenatal and postpartum care at the medical office building on the OSF Heart of Mary campus (1405 W. Park St.). This is in addition to the existing team at the clinic, including nurse midwife Kelli Daugherty, APRN, who sees patients in Urbana and Danville.

Dele Ogunleye, MD, obstetrician and gynecologist, and Brittany King, APRN, will see patients initially, with three other certified nurse midwives (Lindsay Bustle, CNM, Laura Muehling, CNM, and Lilly Ott, CNM) joining the team in the coming weeks.

Clinics with Advanced Women’s Healthcare providers and OSF Mission Partners (employees) will also serve patients in Forsyth (845 US Route 51), with an expected opening in February, and in Lincoln (602 Woodlawn Road), with an expected opening in April.

“This new select service offering is in alignment with OSF’s long-standing tradition of helping women access high-quality, compassionate clinical care where they need it,” said Jennifer Ulrich, interim president of OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington. “Our relationship and all services offered in our hospitals and clinics align with our OSF Mission, Values and our ethical commitments as a Catholic health care ministry and ensure holistic and caring obstetrics care for all women in the area communities.”

Services at OSF Medical Group – Obstetrics & Gynecology will include typical care offerings at OSF HealthCare locations, such as well-woman visits, prenatal and postpartum care, pelvic floor disorder treatments and general gynecologic care.

“We continue to see a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists across the nation. This model of midwife care is an answer, allowing for a superior patient experience with more time for each woman,” said Dr. Ogunleye. “We are pleased to collaborate with OSF to expand this service.”

The expanded clinic serving the Champaign-Urbana area is expected to begin February 12. Hours will be Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“OSF HealthCare remains committed to women’s health,” said J.T. Barnhart, president of OSF Heart of Mary. “We know mothers want quick answers about their care, and this new collaboration allows well-educated midwives to form trusted relationships with the women they serve.”

People interested in an appointment can call:

Urbana: 217-337-2010
Forsyth: 217-443-5697
Lincoln: 217-828-6111

B-roll

It’s important for women to keep track of health screening recommendations. Early detection of issues like breast cancer can mean a better outcome.

Since everyone’s situation is different, you should talk to your health care provider about what screenings are right for you and when to get them. But Deena Brown, a board-certified family nurse practitioner at OSF HealthCare, says there are a few screenings every woman should know.

• Breast cancer: Brown says women aged 40 and up should talk to their provider about a yearly mammogram that looks for breast cancer.

For adult women of any age, mammograms should be combined with monthly breast self-checks. Brown suggests doing a self-exam a week after your menstrual cycle. If you’re no longer menstruating, you can choose the same day each month (the first of the month, for example) to help you remember. You should feel for changes or other abnormalities like lumps, bumps, one breast being larger than the other, any nipple discharge and swelling or soreness under the armpit. Make an appointment with your provider if you notice any of those changes.

• Cervical cancer: Brown says cervical cancer screenings typically begin at age 21 and occur every three to five years.

“Those screenings involve a pap smear, which takes a cell sample from the cervix and looks for any abnormal cells that need to be addressed,” Brown says.

• Osteoporosis: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decrease or when the structure and strength of bones change. This can lead to a decrease in bone strength and an increased risk of bone fractures.

Brown says women over age 65 should be checked for osteoporosis. The NIH says the screening is typically a simple X-ray, and it should be done every two years.

“If the bone density is low, we can initiate treatment with medication to help increase the strength of the bones,” Brown says. “This helps prevent future fractures and debility for women.”

• Colon cancer: Screenings starting at age 45 can help detect colon cancer and other serious issues. A once-a-decade colonoscopy involves a doctor using a tube and camera to check for polyps or cancer in your colon and rectum. Another option is to take a stool sample at home, send it to a provider and they will look for abnormalities. Talk to your provider about which option is best for you.

How things can change

Brown says some women may need these screenings more frequently or earlier in life based on a family history of a disease or your own history.

“It’s all individualized,” she says.

“There are these screening recommendations, but we like to take a personalized approach to care and help address issues as soon as we can.”

In other words, seeing a doctor isn’t just about treating chronic conditions. It’s about preventing them too. And screenings are the best way to do that.

For more on women’s health services, visit the OSF HealthCare website.

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