Baby Bytes: Pinckneyville hospital plugs into a new era of women's health through two-year-old Heartland Women's Healthcare affiliation
A password-protected USB flash drive an expectant mother can wear on her wrist that contains her entire medical history and the sonograms of her unborn child is only part of the next generation of women's healthcare.
In Southern Illinois, it's brought to you courtesy of Heartland Women's Healthcare of Marion, Ill. and the Pinckneyville Community Hospital.
Dr. Michael "Mick" Covlin and colleagues host women's health clinics every Monday at the Pinckneyville hospital with an eye toward less invasive cures that achieve good outcomes.
They bring serious diagnostics and caring treatment to women in the area. And, along the way, they come up with things like "Baby Bytes" that carry important digital history to the hospital where you plan to deliver or, in an emergency, on the road en route to an unfamiliar hospital. Decades ago there would have been a thick file on your case and in recent years at least a manila envelope full of films and history. Now, its all on a bracelet any 21st century hospital worth its salt can plug into a computer and download.
At the forefront of his work is wellness. Well woman exams are the foundation for wellness, health promotion and disease identification and management.
Specialists can consult with you about birth control: abstinence, family planning, barrier methods, contraceptive sponges, diaphragm, condoms, hormonal methods, oral contraceptive, the patch and injections or implantable devices.
Heartland physicians perform endometrial ablation. Endometrial ablation is a procedure to destroy the endometrium- the lining of your uterus. No incisions are needed for an endometrial ablation.
Dr. Covlin explained an in-office endometrial ablation is a quick, safe, and simple procedure to lighten or stop your periods, without the side effects of hormones or the risks of hysterectomy. An endometrial ablation (EA) procedure can reduce or stop menstrual bleeding. It works by removing the endometrium, with a quick delivery of radio frequency energy.
Heartland Women's Healthcare offers the following options for evaluation and treatment of menopausal symptoms, such as mood swings, hot flashes and irregular menstrual bleeding: hormone replacement therapy, blood tests, health screening tests, mammograms and bone density tests*
Urinary incontinence - the loss of bladder control - is a common and often embarrassing problem. Stress urinary incontinence, or SUI, is the sudden, unintentional release of urine during normal, everyday activities. Heartland physicians find the answers you need.
He explained even serious surgeries are now less invasive and the recovery time is shorter. The da Vinci Surgical System is a sophisticated robotic platform designed to expand the surgeon's capabilities and offer a minimally invasive option of major surgery.
Dr. Emily Boyd is a leader in da Vinci robotic surgeries in Southern Illinois, performing more da Vinci Hysterectomy surgeries than all other procedures combined. These surgeries are performed to Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon. Patient benefits of the da Vinci Surgery include: significantly less pain, minimal blood loss, fewer complications, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery.
Many of rural America's obstetrics departments closed years ago as the overhead and liability costs became extraordinary. But Dr. Covlin believes there is a way to bring most women's health services--except for the delivery and more complex procedures--to you through local hospitals.
"We welcome walk-ins here at the Pinckneyville hospital," Dr. Covlin said.
Prenatal care is more than just health care while you are pregnant. He will discuss many issues with you, such as nutrition and physical activity, what to expect during the birth process and basic skills for caring for your newborn.
Heartland physicians address high risk pregnancy, women with pre-existing medical conditions such as: diabetes and hypertension, women with a history of preterm labor, women with cervical weakening, women with high blood pressure and women pregnant with multiples.
4-D ultrasounds provide the best images of your baby possible.
There are currently 16 providers who go to 22 locations to help women.
Heartland Women's Healthcare performs all deliveries at, Good Samaritan Regional Health Center in Mt. Vernon, Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, St. Mary's Hospital in Centralia. Memorial Hospital in Belleville and St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville.
Dr. Covlin, 45, and wife Julie have two children, Cullen and Quinn.
Dr. Covlin completed his undergraduate degrees from the University of North Dakota. He received his medical degree from the University of North Dakota Medical School in 1994. He is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. His internship and residency were spent at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center/St. Mary's OB/GYN in Grand Rapids, Mich. Dr. Covlin joined Heartland Women's Healthcare in August 2009.
While walk-ins are welcomed, you can make appointments for the Monday women's healthcare specialty clinic by calling Heartland Healthcare toll free at 1-877-456-2496.