Women's Services of Spring Hill Regional

As medical treatment has advanced, it’s become clear that the best healthcare for women is not always the same as it is for men.  

The mission of the Women’s Services of Spring Hill Regional Hospitals is simple; to make a real difference in the quality of women’s healthcare.  Our commitment to excellence in Women’s Services is reflected in our having a dedicated Women's Center, an ACR accredited and FDA Certified mammography unit, and the only OB Unit and Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Hernando County.
 
Our services focus special attention on health concerns that are specific to women. Pregnancy and infertility. Gynecological disorders of all types. PMS and osteoporosis. Continence issues. Mammography. Minimally-invasive breast biopsy and treatment for breast cancer.

Quality Care. Delivered.

For that very special time in a woman’s life, Spring Hill Regional Hospital’s Special Delivery Suites (private labor, delivery, recovery suites) have everything needed for mom, dad and baby, including father and baby rooming in, OB anesthesia options, prepared childbirth and other educational classes.  Our post-partum rooms are also beautifully-decorated and have everything for mom, newborn, and dad or coach, including a recliner, rocker, bassinet, TV and VCR.

In addition to providing a cozy, home-like atmosphere, our suites are equipped with the latest medical technology and equipment for use when needed. The suites also feature an advanced security system.

We believe that few things are more important during your birth experience than our staff – who are more than just caring -- they're highly skilled in making every delivery special. 

Certified Nurse Midwives work with several area OB/GYNs. Nurse Midwives are educated in two disciplines – nursing and midwifery – to provide professional gynecological and obstetrical care for women throughout their lives.

The Region's Only Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Spring Hill Regional has the region’s only Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Level II nurseries are equipped to care for babies who weigh 2 lbs. 4 oz. or more, and those born at 29 weeks gestation and up. This translates to delivery 10-11 weeks before the mother’s due date. The NICU is under the direction of prominent Neonatologist Mary Newport, MD, FAAP, who, since completing her neonatology fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina, has served as an attending neonatologist, a co-director of neonatology, and was the founder/medical director of an NICU in Dunedin. 

Gynecological Services

Many gynecological procedures can now be performed on an outpatient basis. Our specialists utilize state-of-the-art laser and laparoscopic equipment to perform minimally-invasive gynecological and continence repair procedures.  

Women's Imaging

While the hope of our Radiologists at Spring Hill Regional Hospital is to find no cancer at all, our goal is to find cancers as early as possible. We are leading the curve in breast imaging technology with fully accredited digital mammography and computer-aided detection (CAD), breast ultrasound and breast MRI. 

It's important for women to know that those whose cancers are discovered early have nearly a 90% chance to recover and lead normal lives. Mammograms are still the most effective tool available to detect breast cancer in its earliest, more treatable stages.  

Of course, getting an accurate diagnosis depends on advanced diagnostic equipment and experienced physicians. Our Women's Imaging Center offers you both. Our physicians use state-of-the-art diagnostic breast ultrasound and MRI to investigate thoroughly any areas of concern. When needed, we follow up with highly accurate, minimally invasive alternatives to traditional surgical biopsies such as stereotactic or ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy, which require only local anesthetic and no stitches.

Spring Hill Regional’s digital mammography facilities are all American College of Radiology Accredited, and Food & Drug Administration Certified – the preferred standard of the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute.

A bone density test (DEXA) at Spring Hill Regional Hospital can help you learn if you have osteoporosis, if you need treatment and whether you’re at risk for fractures. Talk to your physician about this important test.

Most tests in the Women's Imaging Center can be scheduled that day or within a few days. If you require several tests, they can be conveniently scheduled on the same day. 

Women and Heart Disease

A woman going to the emergency room suffering from nausea, extreme fatigue, and dizziness may find her symptoms less recognizable as a heart attack than the man who arrives with crushing pain in the center of his chest.

Women’s physiology is different than men’s. They have smaller hearts, smaller blood vessels, smaller body surface areas and less blood volume.

As a result, instead of the traditional chest pain and discomfort experienced by men, women may have different warning signs such as tiredness, aching, shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness or just feeling ‘unwell’.

Today, physicians at Spring Hill Regional are more aware than ever of cardiovascular disease’s more feminine side.  State-of-the-art Diagnostic Imaging studies include echocardiography, nuclear imaging and cardiac catheterization - the gold standard to detect how well the heart and its arteries are working. 

Talking with your physician about your medical and family history is one of the most important things a woman can do, because a normal EKG or negative stress test can sometimes be wrong.

There are many reasons women don’t talk about how they’re feeling.  Often, they’re so focused on the health of their families, they don’t think much about themselves. What they put on the table for dinner takes on more importance to them than their own health. Many women talk around the subject of heart disease.

Women should be proactive in their own health care. Take the initiative to prevent heart attacks and coronary disease. Every woman should know her numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol (HDL, LDL, triglycerides), and blood sugar. Work on maintaining a healthy weight and eating a heart-healthy diet. And, of course, exercise regularly. Emotions are also a key issue for women with heart disease. Stress can add to the physical symptoms. Women who are prone to depression should talk with their doctors to help determine if medication or counseling will help.            

See your doctor regularly, get your cholesterol and blood pressure checked frequently, and remember the American Heart Association’s ABCs:            
Avoid tobacco.            
Be more active.            
Choose good nutrition.              

According to AHA statistics, less than 1 in 5 physicians recognize that more women than men die from CVD every year.            

Be proactive. Make your heart health one of your doctor’s priorities.