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Magee at UPMC Passavant
Expertise in Women’s Health, Close to Home
“I think caring, kind, and
compassionate must be a
prerequisite to work there.”
Amid the flurry of planning her
daughter’s wedding, Susan Flowers,
58, of Gibsonia, was experiencing
bouts of severe abdominal pain.
When it happened for the third time,
just a few days before the wedding,
she was really frightened, and went
to the Emergency Department (ED)
at UPMC Passavant, where a mass
was discovered on her ovary. The
ED staff immediately called John
Comerci, MD, Magee-Womens
Gynecologic Cancer Program.
The diagnosis was ovarian cancer,
and Dr. Comerci recommended a
hysterectomy.
Fortunately, the surgery schedule was
able to accommodate Mrs. Flowers’
plan to attend the wedding. “I was able
to see my daughter walk down the
aisle, and had my surgery three days
later,” she says.
Above: UPMC Passavant employees (left to right) — Denise Shearer, physician assistant,
Martha Dunlap, RN, and Kelly Linn, RN — are part of the Magee at Passavant program.
Previous page (left to right): Kiran Mehta, MD, Suketu Mansuria, MD, Halina Zyczynski, MD,
and Robert Edwards, MD
Shakespeare probably wasn’t thinking about health care when he wrote,
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Because when it comes
to your health, a name can make a world of difference. Magee-Womens
Hospital of UPMC, ranked fifth nationally and first in Pittsburgh for
gynecologic care by U.S. News & World Report, is a name long known for
its expertise in women’s health. And with the Magee at UPMC Passavant
program, residents of the North Hills and surrounding communities can
benefit from the specialty services that Magee offers without traveling
into the city. “Our goal is to provide an easy-access, patient-focused
program offering the best outcomes for women’s health, where our
patients have a very pleasant experience receiving their care,” says
Robert Edwards, MD, professor, gynecologic oncology, Magee-Womens
Gynecologic Cancer Program.
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North Hills Monthly MAGAZINE
Mrs. Flowers continues, “Dr. Comerci
and all the nurses are absolutely
wonderful. You can’t get better care
anywhere else. Everyone was so
compassionate — if you have to go
through something like this, they make
it much more bearable. They routinely
go above and beyond what is required
to help make you comfortable.”
The Magee at Passavant program expands
services to a new population while helping
to remove many of the hurdles associated
with going downtown, including traffic and
parking. This convenience also can benefit a
patient’s spouse and other family members
who are juggling responsibilities at home.
“By providing subspecialty care from the
same specialists at Magee in a suburban
environment, we are providing patients with
the benefits of a premier women’s hospital
closer to where they live,” says John
Comerci, MD, associate professor, MageeWomens Gynecologic Cancer Program, and
director, Gynecologic Oncology, UPMC
Passavant.
Situated in a community setting where
many patients may feel more comfortable,
April 2013
www.northhillsmonthly.com
the Magee at Passavant program provides
access to the following subspecialties:
• Urogynecology
• Gynecologic oncology
• Minimally invasive surgery
These services, including advanced laparoscopic tools and robotics, are usually found
at larger hospitals in downtown locations.
“The commitment on the part of UPMC
Passavant to provide the technology as well
as the support services for contemporary,
state-of-the-art women’s health care has
been outstanding,” says Halina Zyczynski,
MD, director, Women’s Center for Bladder
and Pelvic Health at Magee.
is available at Magee, UPMC Passavant is
second only to Magee in the number of
minimally invasive surgeries performed
across all UPMC hospitals. Operating room
suites have new, state-of-the-art equipment,
including the da Vinci® robot, specifically
designed for advanced laparoscopic procedures. According to Dr. Comerci, it’s a
phenomenal advantage to have this level of
technology in the north — robots are based
almost exclusively in city hospitals. “To
have this type of resource available for all
subspecialties, and particularly for gynecologic oncology and general gynecology, is
really amazing,” he adds.
Magee-Womens Gynecologic
Cancer Program, Part of
UPMC CancerCenter
Specialists in urogynecology and gynecologic oncology, who are part of the
Magee-Womens Gynecologic Cancer
Program, see patients at the UPMC
CancerCenter at UPMC Passavant, partner
with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer
Institute, western Pennsylvania’s only
National Cancer Institute-designated
Comprehensive Cancer Center. UPMC
Passavant’s patient pavilion, which
opened in 2010, tripled the size of the
CancerCenter, allowing for expanded
medical oncology services and state-of-theart operating suites designed for advanced
surgical cancer care. The hospital’s strategic
location provides easy access to chemotherapy treatment for patients who live north of
Pittsburgh. Many patients are relieved that
they can receive chemotherapy where they
had their surgery, because they are familiar
with the hospital and know how to get there
and where to park.
In the past, hysterectomies and pelvic pain
surgeries, including treatment of fibroids,
were handled through large open incisions.
Now these procedures can be performed
using laparoscopic and robotic techniques.
These minimally invasive surgeries are outpatient or only require a very minimal
hospital stay, and typically are less painful,
result in quicker recovery times, and
provide better cosmetic outcomes.
Clinical protocols, particularly cooperative
group trials like the National Surgical
Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project and the
Gynecologic Oncology Group, are now
open at UPMC Passavant. Sanctioned and
developed with the support of the National
Cancer Institute, the clinical trials compare
the current standard to what will likely be
www.northhillsmonthly.com
Operating room with the da Vinci® robot,
designed for advanced laparoscopic procedures.
the next new standard for the treatment of
cancer. Offering clinical research north of
Pittsburgh provides patients who find travel
cumbersome with the ability to participate
in cutting-edge clinical trials.
Emphasis on Minimally
Invasive Surgery
Having essentially the same technology that
“For many years, endometriosis was treated
with a hysterectomy and removal of the
ovaries, but now we can surgically remove
the actual endometriosis, preserving fertility,
the uterus, and ovaries,” says Suketu
“I’m flabbergasted by what they did for me.
I am forever grateful for them.”
In September 2010, Carolyn Coffin sat down at her computer to do some
research on the Web. The topic? Ovarian cancer physicians. The 57-year-old
resident of Cranberry Township had just returned home from an MRI with the
devastating diagnosis. Mrs. Coffin’s online research brought her to Robert
Edwards, MD, Magee-Womens Gynecologic Cancer Program. She says, “He is
the whole package — he performed my surgery, monitored my chemo, and I still
go to see him for checkups. He takes a totally hands-on approach and is so
dedicated and thorough.”
Mrs. Coffin also says that all of the oncology nurses work well together as a team
and are very committed to getting their patients well. “I wish that I could come up
with more words to say how wonderful they are,” she adds. “I would like others in
a similar situation to know that even though it’s a very scary time, you are not
alone. You have a ton of support there with Dr. Edwards and his team — they
take care of you.”
April 2013
North Hills Monthly MAGAZINE
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“Living with the pain for
so long without any
answers, I began to
think that maybe I was
crazy. Now I feel like a
weight has been lifted
off my shoulders.”
Terria Dotson, 27, had always
experienced very painful menstrual
cycles. “The pain got progressively
worse over the last few years, and I
was taking medication every two to
three hours with no relief,” she says.
Ms. Dotson went to several physicians but was unable to find relief or
even a definitive diagnosis.
Spacious private rooms enable family members to stay overnight with their loved ones.
Patient-Centric Care
Transferring the Magee model of care to the
UPMC Passavant program began with
specialized training for the nurses, who are
all strongly committed to women’s health.
A floor at UPMC Passavant is dedicated to
the program for inpatient care. Spacious
private rooms enable family members to
stay overnight, and the palliative care
service was recently expanded to this
location. “It’s a friendly, close-knit, family
atmosphere where everyone goes above and
beyond to deliver the best patient care
possible,” says Beth Hahn, MD, obstetriciangynecologist.
She recently relocated to Pittsburgh
for a job, and a friend referred her to
Suketu Mansuria, MD, MageeWomens Hospital of UPMC. One
month later, Ms. Dotson had laparoscopic surgery at UPMC Passavant,
where Dr. Mansuria removed eight
different areas of endometriosis. “I
just had four really small incisions,
and I was up and around in a couple
of days,” she says. Two months
later, Ms. Dotson barely noticed any
cramps and was not sick during her
menstrual cycle. “Dr. Mansuria really
took the time to listen and then
explain my treatment options. And
the care I received from the nurses
at UPMC Passavant was excellent,”
she adds.
Mansuria, MD, assistant professor, assistant
director of Gynecologic Minimally Invasive
Surgery, Magee-Womens Hospital of
UPMC. Dr Mansuria adds that almost all
hysterectomies can be performed laparoscopically, even ones that were once
considered too difficult because of scar
tissue, adhesions, or large fibroids.
Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach,
physicians work with specialists in other
areas at UPMC Passavant, including general
surgery, urology, and colon and rectal
surgery, to aid in diagnosis and treatment
when the source of pain is not gynecologic.
For many patients, being admitted to UPMC
Passavant provides the opportunity for their
primary care providers and specialists to
help contribute to the best possible outcome
after surgery. Dr. Zyczynski explains that it
is a tremendous advantage to have a patient
at UPMC Passavant, where members of her
subspecialty team, such as her cardiologist,
pulmonologist, and internist, can help care
for her, round postoperatively, adjust medications, and advise on hypertension
management or anticoagulation.
“We are very proud of how satisfied our
patients are with their physicians and care,”
says Dr. Edwards. “We receive so many
compliments about our patients’ postoperative care, including how impressed they are
with their rooms,” he adds.
Denise Shearer, a physician assistant at
UPMC Passavant, says women may be more
likely to take care of a health problem if they
know a specialist comes to their town or a
neighboring one. The Magee at Passavant
program provides a resource not only for
women who live in the North Hills, but also
for those who live north of Allegheny
County. Physicians have offices in Cranberry,
Hermitage, Clarion, and Franklin, and also
visit UPMC Hamot in Erie. For more
information on the Magee at UPMC
Passavant program, call 412-367-6454
or visit UPMCPassavant.com.
This advertorial has been provided by UPMC.
UPMC Passavant-McCandless
9100 Babcock Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
412-367-6700
UPMC Passavant-Cranberry
One St. Francis Way
Cranberry Township, PA 16066
724-772-5300
UPMC Passavant
For more information or a physician referral, call 1-800-533-UPMC (8762) or visit UPMCPassavant.com